LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Presented  Ern~OA.urR\'\t:n\(S  Snn\'VV^  JT}.1D 


BR  125  .H72  1919 

House,  Elwin  Lincoln,  1861 

1932. 
The  drama  of  the  face 


THE  W 

Urama  ot  the  b  ace 

AND 

Other  Studies  in  Apphed  Psychology 


BY 

ELWIN  LINCOLN  HOUSE,  D.D, 

Author  of  "  The  Psychology  of  Orthodoxy," 
"The  Mind  ofGod"  etc. 


New  York  Chicaoo 

Fleming  H.  Re  veil  Company 

London     and     Edinburgh 


Copyright,  191 9.  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:       75    Princes    Street 


TO    MOTHER, 

WHOSE    FACE    AND    LIFE   WERE 

AN    INSPIRATION 


PREFACE 

THERE  is  a  call  today  for  a  practical,  Christian 
application  of  the  principles  of  Psychology. 
These  lecture  sermons  have  heen  given  to  thou- 
sands in  the  churches  and  on  the  Chautauqua  platform. 
They  have  been  highly  commended  by  the  clergy,  laity 
and  the  press  of  the  country,  and  are  now  sent  forth  to 
the  larger  service  of  humanity.  The  author  trusts  they 
may  bring  inspiration,  illumination,  and  help  to  all  who 
read  them,  and  that  greater  devotion,  more  virility  and 
service  may  be  given  to  Christ  and  His  Church. 

£•  L.  H. 
Hood  Rtstbb.  Obbgon. 


[AFTER 

CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I. 

The  Drama  of  the  Face     . 

11 

II. 

The  Man  of  Eeatjty  .        .        .        , 

35 

III. 

Life  as  a  Masterpiece 

49 

IV. 

The  Psychology  of  Love  . 

72 

V. 

The  Me?^  Who  Dared 

,       95 

YL 

The  Atmosphere  of  a  Personality  . 

110 

VII. 

The  Chemistry  of  the  Mind     . 

128 

VIII. 

The  Majesty  of  Conscience     . 

143 

IX. 

Damaged  Goods   .... 

.     160 

X. 

The  Psychology  of  Conduct     . 

.     179 

XI. 

The  Wonderland  of  Memory    . 

195 

XII. 

A  ^N'ecklace  of  Pearls 

212 

XIII. 

How  TO  Apply  Christian  Psychol 

OGY 

231 

XIV. 

The  World's  Greatest  Oratorio     . 

245 

THE  DEAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

JUST  as  botany  collects  all  discoverable  forms  of 
plant  life,  and  describes  their  roots,  foliage,  blos- 
soms and  fruit,  so  the  Drama  of  the  Face  treats  of 
all  the  sensations,  emotions,  and  expressions  that  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  countenance  of  man.  And  just  as  there 
is  no  limitation  to  the  study  of  botany  because  of  the  new 
species  constantly  appearing,  so  there  is  no  limitation 
to  the  study  of  the  face. 

"  There  is  a  story  in  every  face.  The  face  we  have  at 
fifteen  is  the  one  God  has  given.  Our  face  at  fiity 
is  the  one  we  have  made  for  ourself.  The  old  man's 
face  is  a  history ;  the  young  man's  face  is  a  prophecy. 
The  old  man's  face  is  a  fact  about  himself;  the  young 
man's  face  is  a  theory — a  dream  in  the  future." 

I  like  old  faces  because  they  are  almost  always  true. 
The  old  man's  face  is  his  autobiography;  it  is  his  life 
in  miniature.  Watch  an  old  person's  face  in  all  its 
expressions  and  you  will  have  a  complete  composite 
picture  of  the  soul.  What  is  more  sad  in  all  the  world 
than  the  old  age  which  has  lived  for  itself — the  face  with 
love  and  sympathy  left  out?  Such  a  face  is  full  of 
thoughts  and  impulses  that  were  bom  and  lived  a  while 
and  were  stifled  forever. 

What  on  the  other  hand,  is  more  joyous  than  the  face 

11 


12  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

of  a  grand  old  man?  It  is  a  kind  of  God's  approval, 
heaven's  benediction  of  a  true  life.  Some  one  has  said 
that  every  face  ought  to  be  beautiful  at  forty,  and  that 
no  old  person  has  a  right  to  be  ugly,  because  he  has  had 
all  his  life  in  which  to  grow  beautiful. 

From  our  earliest  days  of  conscious  life,  we  begin 
observing  the  changes  which  flit  over  the  countenances 
of  those  around  us.  By  a  kind  of  unspoken  discourse 
we  come  to  recognize  their  feelings  and  to  show  sym- 
pathy or  aversion,  as  our  impressions  may  lead  us. 

ISTow  this  being  true,  it  is  passing  strange  that  through 
all  the  centuries  men  should  have  held  themselves  aloof 
from  any  study  of  the  face  as  a  method  of  revelation. 
The  astronomers  have  studied  the  heavens  to  find  proof 
of  God's  presence;  the  scientists  have  endeavoured  to 
systematize  their  knowledge  and  to  interpret  nature's 
laws,  to  provide  the  presence  of  a  presiding  intelligence 
in  nature  and  life.  Moralists  have  shown  us  how  re- 
ligion within  us  is  profitable  for  the  life  without,  en- 
nobling business,  exalting  life.  But  the  climax  of 
nature's  work  is  the  human  body.  And  this  temple  is  an 
illuminated  cathedral,  in  which  the  soul  dwells.  In 
looking  out  of  the  eyes,  what  signals  are  waved  ?  What 
revelations  are  made  ?  If  the  potter  makes  his  revela- 
tions of  beauty  through  the  clay ;  if  the  inventor  shows 
his  genius  in  the  engine,  so  God  makes  His  revelation 
of  beauty  and  strength  in  the  face  of  His  child. 

The  power  of  any  face  depends  on  the  vividness 
and  variety  of  expression  constantly  passing  over  it. 
We  use  the  powers  in  our  possession  without  the  con- 
sciousness that  the  face  is  revealing  what  is  going  on 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  13 

within.  All  our  special  senses  are  employed  from  early 
life  without  any  knowledge  of  the  structure  we  are  using. 
The  ear  fulfills  its  function,  and  the  eye,  and  the  tongue 
without  any  knowledge  on  our  part.  If  we  stop  and 
think  about  it,  then  we  realize  it.  But  how  much  is 
done  by  these  organs  of  sense  without  any  apparent 
thought  of  what  they  are  doing  and  accomplishing.  And 
thus  is  it  with  the  face.  From  early  life  it  keeps  on 
doing  its  part  in  manifesting  our  feelings,  and  we  are 
not  aware  of  its  work. 

All  this  comes  from  the  fact  that  the  special  senses 
have  their  seat  in  the  face  or  in  close  connection  with  it. 
With  the  exception  of  the  organ  of  touch,  all  the  organs 
most  sensitive  to  external  influence  are  in  the  face. 
The  face  is  close  to  the  nerve  centre.  The  nerves  run  to 
the  brain  and  the  face  is  in  front  of  this  mighty  work- 
ing power  in  man.  A  very  large  number  of  nerves  pass 
from  the  brain  to  the  muscles  of  the  face.  Around 
the  eye  are  ten  such  nerves;  around  the  cheek  and 
mouth,  eleven.  If  you  take  both  sides  of  the  face  you 
must  double  the  number,  hence  we  see  the  face  reflects 
through  these  telegraphic  nerves  that  which  is  touched 
on  the  brain  of  man. 

Every  face  shows  the  hieroglyphics  of  time;  time 
being  the  pen,  and  the  writing  ours.  We  talk  of 
the  wonderful  richness  of  the  world  of  nature,  of  its 
marvellous  wealth  of  flowers  and  fruits,  of  its  colours 
and  forms;  of  the  ever-changing  pattern  of  its  clouds, 
of  its  flying  shadows,  so  tender  and  so  swift;  of  its 
sunny  glories  and  its  troubled  gloom ;  and  we  do  well 
to  talk  of  these  things,  and  to  delight  in  them  and  love 


14  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

them.  But  to  me,  grand  and  beautiful  as  is  the  world 
of  nature,  the  world  of  man  is  far  richer  in  material 
and  of  fuller  experience.  To  watch  the  faces  of  a  crowd, 
and  to  read  their  probable  histories  is  of  great  interest. 
Many  life  dramas  are  carried  in  the  face.  The  smile  of 
affection,  the  glance  of  sympathy,  the  look  of  love,  the 
arched  brow,  the  expression  of  surprise,  the  firm  set 
lips,  the  look  of  despair^  the  mirror  of  dead  hopes,  lines 
of  desolation,  toil,  hardship,  dissipation,  and  suffering; 
how  much  they  reveal  of  the  life !  Have  they  not  carried 
their  message  quickly  and  more  clearly  than  words 
could  have  done? 

Emerson,  in  speaking  of  the  wonderful  expressiveness 
of  the  human  body,  observes  that  if  it  were  made  of 
glass  or  of  air,  and  the  thoughts  were  written  on  steel 
tablets  within,  it  could  not  publish  more  truly  its  mean- 
ing. A  man  finds  room  in  the  few  square  inches  of 
the  face  for  the  traits  of  all  his  ancestors;  for  the  ex- 
pression of  his  thoughts  and  desires.  Every  face  car- 
ries its  credentials  with  it.  Like  a  drama,  it  reveals 
the  actors,  the  plot  and  the  life  of  its  beholder. 

We  can  build  a  face !  Just  as  we  can  build  a  body, 
a  mind,  so  we  can  build  a  face.  If  it  is  worth  while  to 
build  a  fine  organ,  a  great  building,  more  worth  while 
is  it  to  build  a  face.  In  every  man  there  is  a  Raphael 
who  works  upon  living  substances ;  there  is  a  Wren  who 
constructs  living  material  into  a  temple  for  the  Spirit ; 
there  is  a  Beethoven  who  can  harmonize  a  symphony 
out  of  thoughts,  imaginations,  purposes  and  aspirations, 
which  is  seen  but  not  heard. 

Every  thought  is  an  artist;  every  purpose  cuts  like 


THE  DRAMA  OP  THE  FACE  15 

a  chisel;  every  passion  is  a  workman's  thrust;  every 
emotion  is  a  mason's  trowel.  Every  prayer  lends  al- 
titude to  the  brow;  every  good  deed  gives  light  to  the 
eye ;  every  square  deal  gives  strength  to  the  jaw.  Every 
bad  thought  gives  weakness  to  the  mouth;  every  im- 
pure desire  leaves  a  mark  of  meanness  in  the  face. 
"  The  shew  of  their  countenance  doth  witness  against 
them/'  is  the  verdict  of  Scripture.  In  the  crystal  caves 
of  Kentucky  the  water  drops  from  the  ceiling.  Ap- 
parently each  drop  evaporates.  But  in  reality,  each 
drop  leaves  a  little  sediment  behind,  and  when  a  long 
time  is  passed  these  drops  have  built  the  stalagmite. 
'Not  otherwise  character  is  formed,  and  reveals  itself 
through  the  face.  Thinking,  speaking,  acting,  all  regis- 
ter themselves. 

"  No  matter  what  form  and  feature  may  be  given 
to  the  body  at  its  birth,  the  soul  moulds  and  cuts  and 
chisels  until  it  shapes  its  outward  presentation.  Every 
living  cell  of  which  the  body  is  composed  is  informed 
by  the  spirit  within.  Each  cell  does  its  utmost  to  give 
adequate  expression  to  the  spirit's  desire,  and  thus  the 
wondrous  changes  are  wrought  by  which  the  homely 
grow  handsome  and  the  stolid  become  energized,  the 
clodlike  are  imbued  with  new  life." 

Ruskin  says  there  are  four  marks  of  evil  that  mar  and 
destroy  the  beauty  of  the  human  face — pride,  sensuality, 
cruelty  and  fear.  Well,  pride  is  discord,  because  it  is 
out  of  tune  with  God's  perfection.  Humility  is  always 
a  trait  of  the  Godlike.  Lust  is  discord,  because  it  is 
not  in  harmony  with  God's  purity.  Cleanness  of 
thought  and  body  give  clearness  of  eye,  and  purity  of 


16  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

skin.  Cruelty  is  discord  because  it  is  out  of  harmony 
with  God's  love.  "  Love  beareth  all  things."  Fear  is 
discord  because  it  is  out  of  harmony  with  God's  trust. 
"  Casting  all  your  care  upon  Him,  for  He  careth  for 
you."  We  should  always  remember  that  melody  is  the 
product  of  the  heart.  Music  is  a  thing  of  the  soul,  and 
the  foundation  of  all  perfect  work  is  harmony  with 
God.  The  face,  the  voice,  the  hands,  in  fact  the  whole 
body  are  but  the  strains  that  are  singing  within. 

The  miners  sometimes  bring  up  from  the  pits  pieces 
of  shale,  upon  which  there  are  the  footmarks  of  beasts 
or  birds  that  lived  in  the  carboniferous  forests  of  long 
bygone  ages,  the  very  names  of  which  are  forgotten, 
but  they  have  left  their  mark  behind  in  the  soft  mud 
in  which  they  trod.  So  our  deeds  imprint  themselves 
upon  mind,  face  and  body,  to  be  forgotten  perhaps  by 
us,  but  to  be  unearthed  again  sometime,  to  show  how 
we  thought  and  acted. 

We  have  an  illustration  of  this  truth  that  men  may 
build  strong  or  weak  faces,  in  the  life  of  Rembrandt. 
He  was  a  great  painter.  Today  one  of  his  portraits 
would  bring  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  London. 
Look  at  two  portraits  of  this  man  painted  by  himself. 
In  the  first  one  he  stands  forth  a  glorious,  handsome 
youth.  The  lamps  o£  love  burn  in  his  eyes ;  his  face 
radiates  beauty.  The  whole  man  exhales  strength,  and 
there  is  nothing  for  which  he  cannot  hope.  We  know 
that  he  had  genius  to  create  and  the  imagination  to 
beautify  the  world. 

Now  look  at  Rembrandt's  portrait  of  himself,  twenty 
years  later.     "  The  artist  determined  to  deny  himself 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  17 

no  pleasure.  He  therefore  sought  out  every  delight 
and  followed  his  appetites.  Hence  one  by  one  the 
torches  of  his  life  went  out.  Having  been  untrue  to 
himself,  he  lost  faith  in  others,  for  the  penalty  of  dis- 
honesty and  impurity  is  the  belief  that  every  one  else  is 
equally  dishonest  and  impure.  In  middle  age,  we  see 
the  artist  shrunken,  an  old  rag  around  his  throat,  weak- 
ness in  his  chin^  the  mark  of  the  beast  upon  his  brow, 
the  eyes  heavy  and  dull,  without  vision  or  beauty.  In 
his  youth  Eembrandt  lived  for  his  ideals,  his  dreams  of 
love  and  country,  of  beauty  and  God.  Then  he  seemed 
like  some  palace  on  a  winter's  night,  when  all  the 
windows  are  ablaze  with  light,  and  laughter  and  music 
and  perfumed  beauty  fill  the  halls,  and  happiness  exhales 
like  a  cloud  of  incense  toward  God." 

"  But  to  what  shall  I  liken  Rembrandt's  age,  save 
a  mansion  deserted  by  these  angelic  guests  ?  The  lights 
have  gone  out  from  these  windows  that  once  were  full 
of  rich  colour ;  the  halls  are  empty ;  the  spider's  web  is 
woven  over  the  key-hole  of  the  closed  door;  the  rose 
garden  is  a  tangle  of  thorns,  and  the  building  is  full 
of  things  that  creep  and  crawl.  The  noble  mansion  is 
in  ruins,  given  over  to  darkness  and  decay.  And  the 
ruined  mansion  is  the  house  of  Man's  soul.  Darkness 
is  in  that  ruined  palace." 

All  this  teaches  us  that  a  man  must  be  a  master- 
piece within,  before  he  can  be  a  masterpiece  without. 
The  faces  of  Paul,  John,  Peter  and  Washington, 
Lincoln  and  McKinley,  all  have  the  forces  within  that 
give  strength  and  expression  to  the  noble  faces  on 
canvas. 


18  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Charles  Kingsley  says :  "  There  are  four  faces  among 
portraits  of  modern  men  which  strike  us  as  supremely 
beautiful,  not  only  in  expression,  but  in  form  and  pro- 
portion and  harmony  of  feature.  Shakespeare,  Raphael, 
Goethe  and  Bums.  One  would  expect  it  so;  for  the 
mind  makes  the  body,  and  not  the  body  the  mind. 
Shakespeare  combines  all  the  charms  of  the  other  three. 
Raphael's  is  a  face  to  be  kissed,  not  worshipped.  In 
Goethe  there  is  self-consciousness,  power,  purpose  and 
self-restraint,  and  all  but  scorn  upon  those  glorious 
lineaments.  But  Burns,  the  magic  of  that  countenance 
making  him  at  once  tempter  and  tempted,  may  explain 
many  a  sad  story.  The  lips  ripe,  full  of  passion,  and 
the  faculty  of  enjoyment,  and  the  features  rendered  rich 
and  tender,  the  eyes  laughing  out  upon  you  with  benevo- 
lent good  humour  and  sweetness  with  simple,  eager, 
gentle  surprise,  a  gleam  as  of  a  morning  star  looking 
forth  on  a  new-bom  world." 

All  these  teach  us  that  the  heart  that  turns  from 
God  will  wither,  and  as  a  man  is  in  his  heart,  so  is  he 
in  his  face.  "  A  wicked  man  hardeneth  his  face,"  says 
Solomon.  "  Where  there  is  a  high  look,  there  is  a 
proud  heart."  Jesus,  the  son  of  Sirach  declares :  "  The 
heart  of  a  man  changeth  his  countenance,  whether  it  be 
good  or  evil." 

In  Gessner's  "  Life  of  Lavater,"  it  is  related  that  a 
stranger  was  once  introduced  to  the  great  physiognomist 
— whose  first  thought  on  seeing  him  was :  "  This  man 
is  a  murderer."  Suppressing  the  thought  as  hasty  and 
uncharitable,  Lavater  conversed  with  the  man,  and 
struck  by  the  cultivated  understanding,  extensive  in- 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  19 

formation,  and  easy  manner  which  he  discovered  in  his 
visitor,  was  led  to  disregard  the  unfavourable  impression 
made  upon  him.  The  next  day  he  dined  with  the 
stranger  by  invitation ;  but  soon  afterwards  tidings  came 
that  his  accomplished  gentleman  was  one  of  the  assassins 
of  the  late  king  of  Sweden,  and  he  fled  the  country 
in  great  haste. 

In  1876,  when  Mr.  Moody  was  holding  meetings  in 
Chicago,  he  called  the  chief  usher  in  charge  of  the 
seating  of  the  people,  and  pointing  to  one  of  his  as- 
sistants, asked :  "  Who  is  that  man  ?  To  be  real  frank 
with  you,  I  do  not  like  his  looks — his  face  repels  me !  " 
The  name  of  the  usher  was  Charles  J.  Guiteau,  who 
afterwards  became  the  assassin  of  President  James  A. 
Garfield. 

No  doubt  the  rules  of  physiognomy,  like  those  of 
every  other  science,  have  their  exceptions.  Bret  Harte 
in  his  description  of  the  people  in  Roaring  Camp  says : 
*^  The  assemblage  numbered  about  one  hundred  men. 
One  or  two  of  these  were  actual  fugitives  from  justice, 
some  were  criminals,  and  all  were  reckless.  Physically, 
they  exhibited  no  indication  of  their  past  lives  and 
character.  The  greatest  scamp  had  a  Raphael  face, 
with  a  profusion  of  blonde  hair;  Oakhurst,  a  gambler, 
had  the  melancholy  air,  and  the  intellectual  abstraction 
of  a  Hamlet.  The  coolest  and  most  courageous  man 
was  scarcely  over  five  feet  in  height,  with  a  soft  voice 
and  embarrassed,  timid  manner." 

Some  assert  with  the  witty  Moore  that: 
"  In  vain  we  fondly  seek  to  trace 
The  soul's  reflection  in  the  face; 


20  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

In  vain  we  dwell  on  lines  and  crosses. 

Crooked  mouth,  or  short  proboscis; 

Boobies  have  looked  as  wise  and  bright 

As  Plato  or  the  Stagyrite; 

And  many  a  sage  and  learned  sknll 

Has  peeped  through  windows  dark  and  dull/' 

Thus,  of  the  ferocious  ruffian,  Claverhouse,  Sir 
Walter  Scott  tells  us  that  he  had  "  a  beautiful  and 
melancholy  visage,  worthy  of  the  most  pathetic  dreams 
of  romance  " ;  and  Lord  Byron  says  that  the  cruel  Ali- 
Pacha  was  "  the  mildest  looking  gentleman ''  he  ever 
saw.  The  gentle,  childish-looking  Couthon  was  one  of 
the  most  blood-thirsty  cut-throats  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion, and  the  Greek  Phocion,  who  was  wise,  witty,  fine- 
tempered  and  humane,  was  a  man  of  ill-natured  counte- 
nance and  forbidding  expression,  so  much  so  that  he 
repelled  strangers.  The  heavy  brow,  coarse,  blunt, 
stone-mason  face,  and  protruding  cheek  bones  of  Michael 
Angelo  utterly  belied  his  genius. 

And  Mr.  Morely,  in  describing  Gladstone's  appear- 
ance, says :  "  His  eye  was  extremely  bright,  though  in 
the  rest  of  the  face  there  was  no  beauty  or  even  re- 
finement." 

And  when  President  Wilson  was  running  for  governor 
in  the  state  of  IN'ew  Jersey,  he  was  accused  of  being 
anything  but  handsome  in  face.    His  retort  was : 

"As  a  beauty  I  am  not  a  star; 
There  are  others  more  handsome  by  far. 
But  my  face — I  don't  mind  it, 
For  I  am  behind  it ; 
The  people  in  front  of  me  get  the  jar.'' 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  21 

But  all  these  are  exceptions  to  the  rule,  and  do  not 
disprove  the  general  proposition,  that  as  Spencer  says: 
"  Of  the  soul  the  body  form  doth  take." 

Besides  the  thoughts,  we  would  name  three  other 
builders  of  the  face.  They  are  diet,  sleep  and  sugges- 
tion. It  ig  simply  a  matter  of  gift  as  to  whether  we 
are  tall  or  short,  dark  or  light.  But  it  is  not  altogether 
outside  of  our  own  power  to  determine  whether  we 
are  strong  and  healthful,  and  how  our  faces  build  in 
mature  life. 

Diet  is  a  great  fa<jtor  for  health  and  strength  of 
body.  The  average  American  needs  to  study  the  food 
question  more  than  he  does.  He  is  on  the  whole  giving 
his  stomach  too  much  food,  and  not  the  right  kind.  The 
Bible  gives  the  Jews  some  very  good  rules  for  eating, 
and  they  have  profited  by  observing  them.  We  must 
learn  not  to  eat  so  much  meat,  so  much  sweet,  and  not 
take  so  much  stimulant  in  coffee.  Simple  foods,  well 
cooked,  are  conducive  to  the  longevity  of  life,  and  to  a 
body  strong  and  efficient  for  the  mind  and  the  spirit  to 
live  in.  Some  one  has  said  that  "  food  is  the  brick  and 
mortar  of  our  holy  temple."  And  experience  has  shown 
that  by  food  not  only  is  the  body  but  the  moral  nature 
of  man  distinctly  affected.  Feed  a  dog  on  bread  and 
milk  and  he  is  mild  and  tractable.  Keep  him  chained 
and  feed  him  on  raw  meat,  and  he  will  be  wild  and 
savage.  It  is  a  long  way  back  to  Daniel  and  his  three 
companions,  but  they  stand  still  as  an  illustration  of 
what  diet  can  do  for  the  faces  of  men. 

And  then,  there  is  "  the  beauty  sleep."  We  have  a 
lowered  resistance  power,  because  of  the  shortening  of 


22  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

the  period  that  should  be  given  to  sleep.  This  prevents 
the  processes  of  tissue  repair,  and  lays  the  body  open 
to  many  ills.  Dr.  Richard  Cabot  said :  "  I  believe  that 
more  minor  illnesses  are  due  to  a  lack  of  sleep  than  any 
other  recognizable  factor."  To  soak  into  one's  system 
all  the  sleep  it  can  take,  requires  the  courage  to  refuse 
invitations,  to  stay  away  from  the  study,  the  office, 
but  it  pays.  Dr.  Cabot  says :  "  A  person  catches  cold, 
gets  lumbago,  is  constipated,  or  headache  ridden,  because 
his  vitality  is  below  par,  his  physical  expenditure  be- 
yond his  physical  income.  Sleep  would  set  him  square 
with  the  world;  but  to  get  sleep  means  sacrificing  the 
evening's  fun.  This  he  won't  do,  and  so  he  runs  in 
debt,  and  is  chronically  edging  toward  a  breakdown." 

Dr.  Roycroft  says :  "  Nature  started  us  off  wisely 
enough,  with  a  long  night  and  no  artificial  lights  to 
tempt  us.  She  put  us  outdoors,  where  we  had  to  hustle 
to  keep  warm ;  and  made  sure  that  we  would  not  over- 
eat, by  making  food  difficult  enough  to  get.  And  we 
have  too  often  entirely  reversed  her  program.  We  have 
built  ourselves  comfortable,  ovcrwarm  houses;  piled 
them  too  full  of  food;  with  our  light  and  music  and 
entertainment  turned  night  into  day.  Is  it  any  wonder 
we  live  shorter  lives  than  we  ought  to  live  ?  " 

Sleep  hits  an  irritable  temper  hard,  and  drives  the 
clouded  face  into  the  sunshine.  It  is  a  beauty  builder 
and  makes  for  a  sunny  disposition. 

Suggestion  is  another  great  builder  of  the  face.  Look 
yourself  over  carefully  and  get  the  suggestion  of  what 
you  are.  Have  you  a  face  that  is  cold,  sullen,  despond- 
ent, deceitful,  hopeless,  bashful,  shy,  sinful  and  sensual  ? 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  23 

Or  have  you  a  face  strong,  kind,  thoughtful,  sympa- 
thetic, trustful,  clean,  true  and  moral  ?  Isow  give  your- 
self the  suggestion  that  your  face  shall  carry  the  best 
and  truest  in  life,  and  that  above  all  the  face  grows 
from  within  out ;  that  each  thought  and  feeling  do  their 
work.  Get  the  idea  that  there  is  no  beautifier  of  com- 
plexion or  form  or  behaviour  like  the  wish  to  scatter 
joy  and  not  pain.  Carry  a  cordial  in  your  face,  through 
your  heart,  and  see  what  wonders  it  will  do  for  you  after 
awhile. 

Look  out  for  the  power  and  use  of  suggestion  upon 
children.  They  are  not  born  alike.  The  baby  with 
round  features  and  white  complexion  has  the  advantage 
over  the  one  with  long  features  and  dark  complexion. 
Be  careful  what  you  say  to  children.  If  one  should 
happen  to  be  plain,  and  is  aware  of  the  fact,  hold  over 
him  the  suggestion  that  age  will  bring  him  a  strong, 
noble  face,  and  that  it  is  for  him  to  decide  what  he  shall 
have  at  mature  life.  It  is  often  true  ^'  that  homely 
babies  make  handsome  men."  But  never  call  attention 
to  any  deficiencies  in  your  children. 

They  were  walking  to  church,  sister,  brother  and 
mother.  The  girl  was  all  one  fluff  of  lace,  ribbons,  golden 
curls,  blue  silk  stockings  and  feathers.  But  the  boy 
made  a  sorry  figure  in  a  snuff-coloured  plaid  which  went 
badly  with  his  carroty  hair  and  freckles,  as  did  the 
scarlet  necktie  which  adorned  it. 

Well  has  the  boy,. now  a  man,  described  the  scene,  as 
he  goes  on  to  relate  how  his  mother  met  the  pastor,  and 
said,  half-apologetically :  "  I  don't  like  that  combine 
on  Dicky  myself;  but  I  got  'em  at  a  bargain  sale  of 


24  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

children's  things  and — and,  you  see,  it  doesn't  pay  to 
dress  Dicky  that  way — he's  so  awfully  plain.  But  I 
tell  you  Molly  shows  it  when  I  get  her  up !  " 

"  And  the  ugly  duckling  heard  and  quivered  as 
though  a  rawhide  had  swished  across  his  sensitive  soul. 
The  mother  had  summed  up  all  in  a  parent's  ignorance." 

Do  you  want  to  note  what  children  think  of  beauty ! 
Let  the  next  teacherless  Sunday  school  class — either 
sex — choose  between  two  women,  one  lovely  to  look  at 
and  the  other  lovely  to  know,  and  see  the  result.  Not 
only  is  the  child  more  sensitive  to  beauty  in  others,  he 
is  more  sensitive  to  ridicule,  more  sensitive  to  the 
feeling  of  his  own  ugliness. 

A  negro  lass  of  twelve  in  the  South  confided  to  her 
young  master  as  follows :  "  I  tell  you,  young  Mars', 
when  I  looks  in  de  glass  an'  sees  mase'f  lookin'  so  ugly 
as  de  debble — I  dun  jus'  ask  God  to  lemme  die."  When 
my  sister,  in  a  spirit  of  fun,  told  the  poor  imp  that  by 
standing  on  her  head  and  swallowing  a  pound  of  gristle 
she'd  turn  white,  she  did  it.  Only  after  long  labour 
could  the  doctor  bring  her  back  to  consciousness.  That's 
the  way  even  healthy-minded  children  take  the  truth  the 
glass  flings  pitilessly  back  into  their  crude  faces. 

A  great  many  years  ago  a  boy,  a  red-headed,  freckled, 
snub-nosed,  "  skinny "  boy,  carried  his  nickel  into  a 
village  store  intent  on  the  purchase  of  a  pencil.  Un- 
fortunately the  particular  kind  he  wished  was  worth  six 
cents.  The  obliging  shopman  gave  it  to  him  for  five. 
He  was  a  good  man,  that  shopkeeper,  beloved  in  his  own 
town,  revered  throughout  his  denomination ;  but  the  next 
day,  when  the  boy  returned  with  the  extra  penny,  he 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  26 

dropped  a  calloused  baud  on  the  lad's  head,  and  ex- 
horted, "  Remember,  mj  son,  it  is  far  better  to  be 
honest  than  to  be  good-looking."  It  was  years  before 
that  insulted  heart  forgave  or — no,  even  yet  it  has  not 
forgot!  Only  the  other  day  a  clergyman,  a  cultured, 
delightful  man,  pushed  his  daughter  towards  me  with 
the  apology,  "  She's  a  much  nicer  child  than  she  looks," 
and  the  blood  scorched  the  sensitive  skin  of  the  awkward, 
freckled,  plain-featured  girl. 

Hear,  then,  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter !  The 
ugly  duckling  is  the  one  child  of  the  flock  worth  fuss- 
ing over,  worth  planning  and  fighting  for,  that  he  may 
be  an  ugly  duckling  no  more. 

Again,  the  face  tells  us  after  awhile  what  is  really 
going  on  within.  It  is  the  window  of  character.  It  is 
true  that  there  is  an  education  abroad  today  which 
teaches  men  to  conceal  their  feelings.  This  education 
is  trying  to  make  masks  of  human  faces.  Men  grow 
beards  to  cover  weak  chins  and  surly  mouths.  Women 
paint  thin  lips  to  make  them  seem  fuller  and  repress 
thick  sensual  lips  by  drawing  them  inward.  A  high 
or  a  low  forehead  can  be  altered  by  a  clever  hair  dresser. 
A  little  touching  up  of  the  eyes,  makes  them  seem  dif- 
ferent. It  is  an  age  of  attempted  camouflage  of  the 
face.  But  men  cannot  long  act  a  part,  l^ature  is 
against  insincerity.  You  cannot  forge  her  handwriting. 
You  cannot  make  your  artificial  rock  that  it  shall  re- 
main unknown  beside  hers. 

And  so  it  is  with  voice  and  face.  Hypocrisy  drops  its 
mask,  and  what  is  within  comes  out.  Dickens  exhibits 
Monks  as  beginning  his  career  as  an  innocent  and  beauti- 


26  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

ful  child;  but  as  ending  his  life  as  a  mass  of  solid 
bestiality,  a  mere  chunk  of  fleshed  iniquity.  It  was 
thinkiijg  upon  vice  and  vulgarity  that  transformed  the 
angel  face  of  the  boy  to  the  demon  face  of  the  man,  and 
it  could  not  be  concealed. 

Hawthorne  has  made  a  similar  study  of  Chilling- 
worth,  whose  moral  deterioration  began  through  evil 
thinking  when  face  and  physique  were  fully  matured. 
Chillingworth  stood  forth  in  middle  life  a  thoughtful, 
earnest  and  just  man;  but  during  his  absence,  he  suf- 
fered a  grievous  wrong.  Not  knowing  the  identity  of 
his  enemy,  the  physician  came  to  suspect  his  friend. 
When  suspicion  had  strengthened  into  certainty,  enmity 
became  hatred.  Then,  for  two  years,  Chillingworth 
tortured  his  victim  every  way  possible.  Soon  the  face 
of  the  physician,  once  so  gentle  and  just,  took  on  an 
aspect  sinister  and  malign.  Children  feared  him,  men 
shivered  in  his  presence.  Once  it  was  declared  that 
his  eyes  shot  out  blue  fire.  What  is  this,  but  saying 
that  he  who  thinks  of  mean  and  ugly  things  will  soon 
show  mud  in  the  bottom  of  his  eye.  Ugliness  within 
soon  fouls  the  facial  tissues. 

Take  a  youth  of  extreme  beauty,  let  him,  little 
by  little,  be  led  into  wicked  practices;  in  proportion 
as  he  is  so  led,  will  the  register  of  his  descent  be  writ- 
ten upon  his  face,  and  upon  his  whole  attitude  and 
manner.  Quite  imperceptibly,  I  admit,  but  with  awful 
exactness  and  depth.  The  eye,  once  so  clear  and  so 
steady  in  its  look,  will  be  marked  by  suspicion,  un- 
certainty, or  timidity  of  movement.  And  strange  lines 
will  be  woven  around  the  mouth;  and  the  lips,  so  well 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  2T 

cut,  so  guileless  and  generous,  will  be  tortured  into  ugli- 
ness and  sensual  enlargement;  and  the  voice,  once  so 
sweet,  so  ringing,  the  very  music  of  a  character  un- 
stained and  fearless,  will  contract  some  mocking  tones, 
and  give  itself  up  to  a  rude  laughter,  partially  deceit- 
ful and  partly  defiant.  All  this  will  not  happen  in  one 
day.  Herein  is  the  subtlety  of  evil.  If  you  do  not  see 
the  youth  for  years  you  may  be  shocked  when  you  miss 
the  fine  simplicity  and  noble  bearing  which  you  asso- 
ciated with  his  name. 

And  the  girl  who  cultivates  a  sullen,  petulant  temper, 
who  allows  herself  to  become  tart  and  bitter  and  hasty 
in  her  retorts,  cannot  avoid  the  face  that  tells  about  her 
disposition.  Shakespeare,  in  "Much  Ado  About 
Nothing,"  says :  "  You  have  such  a  February  face,  so 
full  of  frost,  of  storm,  of  cloudiness."  The  girl's 
habitual  conduct  will  leave  its  impress  on  lip  and  brow 
and  cheek.  JSTot  all  at  once,  but  in  due  course  of  time, 
her  temperament  will  be  seen  written  on  her  counte- 
nance. Her  face  will  be  branded  with  the  revelation 
of  her  ill  temper.  The  lesson  is  clear:  if  you  do  not 
want  to  carry  about  you  a  branded  face,  do  not  vio- 
late God's  law.  Meanness,  dishonesty,  treachery 
and  vice  are  a  show  of  your  countenance  against 
you. 

"  A  private  secretary  accompanies  us  through  the 
journey  of  life.  A  complete  diary  is  kept,  and  the  index 
is  inscribed  on  the  face.  Sin  cannot  long  escape  de- 
tection; internal  decay  emblazons  itself  on  the  brow 
and  face."  The  secret  of  strong  face  building  is  found 
in  our  communion  with  the  best  and  highest.    The  Bible 


28  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

teaches  that  "  he  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of 
the  most  high  shall  come  forth  with  a  face  illumined." 
"  He  who  thinks  on  whatsoever  things  are  true,  what- 
soever things  are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just, 
whatsoever  things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  lovely, 
whatsoever  things  are  of  good  report,"  is  changed  by 
them.  So  just  as  truly  as  food  is  transmuted  into  bone, 
flesh  and  nerve,  thoughts  and  feelings  are  transmuted 
into  character,  and  character  declares  itself  in  actions 
and  words,  in  voice  and  face.  Socrates  prayed :  "  Ye 
Gods,  grant  me  to  become  beautiful  in  the  inner  man; 
and  that  whatever  outward  things  I  have  may  be  in 
harmony  with  those  within."  Wise  prayer,  for  within 
lies  the  robing  room.  It  is  for  us  to  remember  that  he 
who  dwells  with  God  becomes  partaker  of  His  Spirit, 
and  that  Spirit  cannot  be  hid.  It  will,  it  must  shine 
out  through  the  face.  The  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ  shines,  also, 
in  the  face  of  His  disciples.  To  tarry  with  God  and 
wait  upon  Him  is  to  open  the  soul  to  transfiguration, 
and  to  bring  to  the  world  the  impartation  of  that 
which  we  have  received.  The  filmy  thread  in  the 
electric  lamp  shines  because  of  that  which  is  behind 
it.  So  the  child  of  light  and  truth  reflects  the 
glory  of  God,  for  his  face  is  the  channel  of  such 
light. 

This  is  the  teaching  of  that  remarkable  book  given 
to  the  world  a  few  years  ago  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Stuart 
Phelps  Ward,  called  "A  Singular  Life."  Emanuel 
Bayard  was  rejected  as  pastor  of  a  certain  city  church 
because  of  his  lack  of  orthodoxy.    But  he  became  pastor 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  29 

of  the  "  refuse  "  of  the  city.  They  loved  him  because 
of  his  goodness  and  interest  in  them.  He  fought  their 
battles  with  them ;  he  championed  their  rights ;  he  was 
the  stern,  relentless  enemy  of  the  liquor  traffic.  His 
mission  was  crowded ;  great  was  his  influence  and  grow- 
ing his  hold  on  the  people.  But  his  enemies  finally 
killed  him,  and  great  was  the  grief  of  all  the  city.  On 
the  day  of  his  burial,  all  business  was  suspended,  and 
a  stranger  seeking  business,  asked  an  Italian :  "  Why 
are  all  the  stores  closed  ?  "  His  answer  was :  ^^  The 
man  with  the  angel  face  is  dead." 

Yes,  he  who  thinks  on  good  things;  who  gives  him- 
self to  noble  works,  will  have  the  light  of  joy  and 
graciousness  shining  in  his  face. 

In  our  day  ugliness  has  become  abhorrent.  Men  want 
beautiful  houses,  beautiful  tools,  beautiful  books,  and 
the  city  itself  must  be  beautiful.  The  adornment  of 
the  person  has  become  a  passion.  Quick  to  recognize 
this  fact,  the  papers  are  filled  with  advertisements  of 
facial  artists.  The  discovery  of  a  new  cosmetic  makes 
a  fortune.  The  man  who,  with  an  electric  device  ex- 
terminates wrinkles  or  postpones  them,  makes  a  second 
fortune.  Women  are  told  to  eat  pounded  bones,  to 
drink  charcoal  water,  or  feed  on  carrots  if  they  would 
have  fair  complexions.  But  the  secret  of  facial  charm 
is  far  deeper.  At  the  bottom  of  the  whole  matter,  the 
fact  is,  the  beauty  that  lasts,  begins  within,  and  with 
the  good  that  is  permanent. 

One  time,  Mr.  Moody  was  anxious  to  get  the  face 
of  a  very  dear  friend  of  his  for  the  newspapers.  When 
the   man    appeared    before   the   photographer,    he    ex- 


30  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

claimed :  "  Gee !  but  I  could  take  that  man's  face  in 
the  dark ! ''  It  was  almost  true,  for  it  was  the  face 
of  Eev.  Dr.  A.  J.  Gordon,  who  had  a  face  among  a 
million,  and  he  had  got  it  through  communion  with 
God. 

And  where  shall  we  find  our  facial  standard  ?  There 
must  be  a  standard.  The  compass  is  keyed  to  the  pole, 
the  mathematician  follows  his  axiom,  the  artist  seeks 
to  carry  his  picture  up  to  ideal  beauty,  but  toward 
what  pattern  of  loveliness  doth  the  soul  struggle  for- 
ward ?  In  some  old  castle  is  the  portrait  gallery  of  all 
the  lords  of  the  barony.  There  is  the  face  of  the  soldier 
who  founded  the  family,  perhaps  a  thousand  years  ago, 
and  he  sets  his  stamp  upon  all  his  descendants.  You 
can  trace  the  hawk-like  nose,  the  high  cheek  bones,  down 
from  portrait  to  portrait.  But  suddenly  you  come  upon 
a  face  that  is  on  absolutely  different  lines;  having  the 
dark  eyes,  the  softer  and  more  delicate  features  of 
Southern  climes,  and  then  you  know  that  some  new 
element  has  been  introduced.  And  not  otherwise  as  we 
study  the  portraits  of  the  typical  men  of  the  centuries 
can  we  trace  the  likeness  between  one  and  another.  We 
see  how  selfishness  and  ambition  and  pride,  in  one 
generation  repeat  themselves  in  after  times.  But  sud- 
denly in  the  portrait  gallery  of  earth's  great  men  there 
appears  a  face  that  is  new  and  unique  and  unlike  any 
other.  Despite  its  strange,  wistful  beauty,  sometimes 
that  face  is  more  marred  than  any  man's.  Despite  the 
fact  that  this  one  knew  He  was  soon  to  come  to  His 
cross,  now  "  His  face  shines  like  the  sun."  The  glory 
of  this  face  is  in  qualities  summarized  in  the  Word. 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  31 

Little  wonder  that  whenever  this  One  appears,  in  what- 
soever picture,  either  in  the  "Transfiguration/'  or  a 
'^  Christ  in  the  Praetorium/'  that  His  face  is  the 
centre  upon  which  all  eyes  are  fastened.  And  it  is 
toward  the  likeness  of  the  Master  that  the  disciples 
are  moving.  "  Slowly  they  approximate  the  stand- 
ard." 

Shakespeare  tells  us  how  Prince  Hal  became  changed 
in  his  nature  to  another  man.  How  he  had  kept  com- 
pany for  so  long  with  Corporal  ISTym  and  Ancient  Pistol 
and  Mine  Host  Bradolph,  he  of  the  glowing  nose,  and 
that  prince  of  roisters,  honest  Jack  Falstaff.  By  and  by 
Prince  Hal  was  called  to  the  bedside  of  his  dying  father, 
and  as  he  sat  there  holding  the  hand  of  King  Henry  IV., 
Prince  Hal  became  thoughtful  in  the  face  of  a  new 
duty  and  power  that  were  soon  to  be  his.  These 
moments  in  the  presence  of  mortality  sobered  him.  And 
when  at  last  the  crown  dropped  from  the  pulseless  brow 
he  took  it  up  and  placed  it  upon  his  head,  and  became 
from  that  moment  every  inch  a  king,  one  of  the  noblest 
kings  among  England's  sovereigns.  ISTow  what  would 
he  do  with  his  old  boon  companions?  His  face  had 
changed,  but  had  the  faces  of  his  companions  changed  ? 
'No,  For,  alas!  there  was  not  the  same  incentive,  not 
the  same  experience.  He  provided  well  for  FalstafF,  but 
he  could  do  nothing  more  for  him.  Falstaff  could  not 
understand  that,  and  so  he  got  his  comrades  together 
along  the  street  down  which  the  King  was  to  pass  with 
his  cavalcade,  and  told  them  to  stand  by  while  he  would 
hail  the  King  as  of  yore.  As  King  Henry  V.  rides  by, 
Falstaff  calls  out:  "My  royal  Hal!     My  King!     My 


32  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Jove !     I  speak  to  thee,  my  heart !  "     But  the  King 
was  changed,  and  speaks  the  inevitable  denial: 

"  I  know  thee  not,  old  man ;  fall  to  thy  prayers. 
How  ill  white  hairs  become  a  fool  and  jester! 
I  long  have  dreamed  of  such  a  kind  of  man. 
So  surfeit-swelled,  so  old,  and  so  profane; 
But,  being  awake,  I  do  despise  my  dream/' 

Think  upon  these  two  faces;  the  one  so  changed  by 
a  new,  high  motive,  the  other  still  bearing  the  im- 
press of  the  old  weaknesses.  What  a  contrast  is  given 
us! 

And  how  marvellous  the  inspiration  of  strong,  noble 
faces!  It  is  said  of  Oliver  Cromwell  on  the  eve  of  a 
great  battle,  especially  when  the  odds  of  victory  were 
against  him,  that  his  soldiers  would  eagerly  scan  his 
face  before  the  note  of  the  bugle  sounded  out  its  sum- 
mons to  charge.  "  See  I  "  they  exclaimed,  as  he  passed 
slowly  along  the  line — "  See !  he  has  his  battle  face 
today."  The  battle  face  of  Cromwell  interpreted  victory 
to  his  followers. 

What  a  wonderful  parable  we  have  in  Hawthorne's 
"  Great  Stone  Face !  "  In  that  little  book  he  gives  us 
the  story  how  there  is  limned  in  the  White  Mountains 
of  'New  Hampshire,  a  great  stone  face.  There  is  a 
legend  among  the  Indians  that  the  time  would  come 
when  there  would  be  bom  into  the  valley  a  boy  whose 
features  in  time  would  be  like  those  of  the  face  on  the 
mountain  side.  The  villagers  lived  under  the  thought 
of  that  promise,  and  Hawthorne  tells  how  the  little  boy 


THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE  33 

Ernest  was  told  the  story  and  ever  looked  up  at  the  face 
and  longed  for  the  coming  of  one  who  would  make  life 
so  full!  and  happy.  And,  there  came  back  three  men, 
Mr.  "  Gather-Gold,"  who  had  made  a  fortune ;  Mr. 
"  Blood-and-Thunder,"  who  had  been  a  great  general ; 
and  "  Old  Stony-Phiz,"  a  great  statesman,  all  of  whom 
it  was  said,  looked  like  the  Great  Face.  But  it  was 
found  to  be  untrue. 

Meanwhile  the  spirit  of  kindliness  grew  within 
Ernest's  own  great  soul,  and  from  him  there  went 
forth  cheering  words  and  kindly  deeds,  and  when  at 
last  he  was  old  and  scant  hair  fell  about  his  face  and 
all  the  lines  of  his  features  had  grown  soft  and  tender, 
men  saw  that  the  expectation  of  the  legend  had  been 
fulfilled  in  the  likeness  of  Ernest's  face  to  that  of  the 
lines  of  the  image  in  the  mountain. 

The  man  who  goes  through  the  world,  with  a  noble 
face,  lighted  up  by  the  fires  of  holy  living  within,  is 
scattering  sunshine  and  help,  that  can  never  be  esti- 
mated. 

"  Are  you  God's  wife  ?  "  said  an  amazed  street  urchin 
who  had  felt  the  kindly  smile  and  reward  of  a  noble 
woman's  benefaction.  We  speak  for  Him :  we  sing  for 
Him :  we  live  for  Him,  and  we  can  smile  for  Him. 

To  my  readers,  let  me  say  that  today  your  faces  have 
great  possibilities  within  them.  Tomorrow,  however, 
they  will  be  actualities.  They  will  be  faces  that  have 
been  wedded  by  a  thousand  thoughts,  and  the  loves  and 
hates  of  every  heartbeat.  May  age  bring  to  you  faces 
that  shall  draw  the  love  of  hearts,  faces  with  purities 
and  victories  dramatized  within  them.    And  before  the 


34?  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

years  have  brought  in  all  their  gifts  to  you,  God  grant 
you  that  beauty  that  comes  from  the  immortal  soul 
before  it  wings  its  flight  hence.  The  sweetest  face  you 
ever  will  see  will  be  the  "  glory  of  God  in  the  face 
of  Jesus  Christ."  And  when  you  awake  may  it  be  in 
the  likeness  of  Christ! 


n 

THE  MAN  OF  KEALITY 

01N"E  day  a  man  bent    over  a  coxcomb  and  lie 
saw  in  the  heart  of  the  flower  a  bumble  bee. 
He  was  not  bumbling  that  afternoon.    He  was 
still  as  death,  for  he  was  dead  drunk.    He  had  quaffed 
its  nectared  sweets  until  he  was  a  victim  of  an  ambrosial 
booze. 

Our  age  has  become  intoxicated  with  material- 
ism, and  we  do  not  know  it.  It  is  time  that  we  prayed 
ithe  song  that  is  sometimes  sung: 

"  If  drunk  with  sight  of  power,  we  loose 
Wild  tongues  that  have  not  Thee  in  awe. 
Such  boasting  as  the  Gentiles  use 
Or  lesser  breeds  without  the  law; 
Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet. 
Lest  we  forget,  lest  we  forget ! " 

Eor  many  years  our  country  has  been  a  place  where 
men  have  taken  fortunes  from  our  many  resources. 
We  are  called  a  nation  of  pork-packers,  lumber-kings, 
mining-millionaires  and  stock-manipulators.  We  have 
become  a  vast,  articulated  machine.  The  lives  of  men, 
the  institutions  of  society,  the  church,  the  family  and 
all,  are  woven  into  a  great  materialism — hard,  cold, 
adoring  the  impersonal  thing  we  call  progress,  advanc- 

36 


36  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

ing — forgetting  the  inner  and  spiritual  values  of  life, 
esteeming  dividends  of  more  value  than  the  souls  of 
men.  Humanity  is  secondary!  Happiness  is  a  by- 
product ! 

What  is  the  result?  Crime  is  increasing;  self- 
indulgence  is  seen  everywhere ;  extravagance  among  the 
rich;  vulgarity  on  the  stage  and  in  the  drawing  rooms, 
and  multitudes  of  men  and  women  living  on  the  border- 
land of  want,  while  thousands  are  muttering  curses  and 
planning  the  overthrow  of  our  institutions.  We  are 
at  the  threshold  of  a  great  change.  What  can  save  us  ? 
IN'othing  but  reality.  The  man  of  reality  is  the  call 
of  the  hour. 

What  makes  the  reality  of  man  ?  It  is  not  his  body, 
which  is  a  complex  physical  organization.  The  body 
is  only  the  instrument;  the  temple;  the  house  he  lives 
in.  It  is  not  the  soul,  which  is  the  rational  part  of  man, 
and  which  involves  the  purely  intellectual  processes  of 
life.  It  is  the  spirit  that  makes  the  reality  of  man;  that 
which  is  the  unchanging  divine  part  of  man's  being. 
Body  is  the  seat  of  the  sense-consciousness;  soul  is  the 
seat  of  self-consciousness,  while  spirit  is  the  seat  of  God- 
consciousness. 

What  do  we  know  about  the  body?  We  know  that 
the  matter  which  composes  it  comes  and  goes  like  a 
stream,  or  that  it  is  like  a  gas  flame !  "  There  is  nothing 
individual  or  identical  about  a  stream  or  a  gas  flame, 
except  its  mere  form  and  the  likeness  of  the  matter 
composing  it."  It  is  a  fact  of  science  that  our  bodies 
are  being  born  and  that  they  are  dying  every  minute. 
The  body  is  not  reality,  then. 


THE  MAN  OF  REALITY  37 

What  do  we  know  about  the  soul?  We  have  dis- 
covered that  our  thoughts,  feelings,  impulses,  flow 
through  us  like  a  stream  of  water.  This  is  the  reason 
that  some  refer  to  our  mental  life  as  "  the  stream  of 
consciousness."  And  this  stream  of  consciousness  has 
no  real  self,  no  true  identity,  any  more  than  the  body. 
If  the  ordinary  stream  of  consciousness  was  to  be 
identified  with  the  self  then  we  should  have  many  selves. 
Why?  Because,  now  we  are  strong,  now  we  are  weak: 
now  we  are  brave,  now  we  are  cowardly.  Which  is  the 
real  self?  We  have  many  selves  in  our  stream  of  con- 
sciousness. 

Our  minds  are  bom  anew  every  day,  and  are  dying 
every  day,  giving  place  to  new  minds,  as  the  stream 
flows  on. 

But  there  is  something  permanent  about  us.  There 
IS  A  REAL  SELF  behind  all  these  selves,  so  that  one 
can  say:  I  am — I  can  be — a  self  that  remembers — a 
self  that  is  to  be  forever — and  that  self  is  spirit, 
something  that  is  never  sick,  never  dies,  and  is 
reality. 

**As  fresh  as  the  hurtling  waves 

That  dash  on  a  far-off  shore, 
Revealing  power  more  furious 

With  every  obstacle  before ; 
Bright  with  the  glint  of  Heaven, 

Quick  with  tremendous  life, 
Charged  with  the  power  of  ages 

Pure-steeled  in  eternal  strife ; — 
The  Soul  in  Life's  deep-sea  sounding, 

Surcharged  by  every  delay, 


38  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Goes  terribly  onward,  transforming 

Man's  meanly  imperiling  way; 
Downward,  deep  downward  descending 

Through  cavernous,  thickest  night, 
Weathering  the  myriad  whirlpools 

Ensnaring  strength  at  its  height ; 
Catching  a  bit  of  all  life  drift, 

Upbearing  its  way  to  the  light. 
Straining  with  the  strength  of  all  living, 

Emerging  supreme  in  its  might. ' ' 

For  the  past  century  men's  energies  have  been  given 
to  observation,  investigation,  verification  and  formula- 
tion of  physical  facts.  Much  has  been  done  along  these 
lines.  Everything  has  been  fairly  well  classified, 
labelled  and  put  away  for  use.  IsTow  we  must  spirit- 
ualize our  work. 

Today  there  is  a  call  for  reality.  To  bring  back  the 
idea  that  character  is  better  than  cash,  that  one  had 
better  have  principle  than  fame,  and  the  thought  that 
there  are  no  scales  big  enough  to  weigh  thought  or  the 
ethics  of  life.  When  the  man  of  reality  comes,  he  will 
take  us  out  of  the  province  of  the  rule  and  yardstick. 
He  will  lead  us  away  from  eye-gate,  ear-gate,  feel-gate, 
to  the  inner  thought,  sight,  feeling  and  hearing. 

The  man  of  reality  will  be  a  man  possessed  by  a 
spirit.  Man  has  a  body,  but  he  is  a  spirit;  a  spirit  in 
prison.  Call  him  animal,  but  he  is  a  spiritual  animal. 
In  his  inmost  nature  he  is  allied  to  the  spiritual  king- 
dom. For  that  kingdom  he  was  made,  to  that  he 
properly  belongs,  and  in  that  kingdom  he  ought  to  live. 
When  man  takes  the  animal  plane,  lives  the  animal 


THE  MAN  OF  REALITY  39 

life,  he  falls  below  his  better  self.  The  beast  in  man 
is  triumphant  when  the  flesh  and  the  works  of  the 
flesh  have  ousted  the  forces  of  the  spirit.  The  beast 
is  conquered  when  the  powers  of  the  spirit  master  the 
works  of  the  flesh.  The  spirit  in  man  should  never 
surrender  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  whole  body. 

Man  is  built  up  tier  upon  tier.  At  the  bottom 
is  the  flesh,  the  earth  principle  which  he  receives  from 
the  dust  of  the  ground  and  which  was  originally  good, 
hut  has  been  degraded.  It  is  the  part  from  which  the 
strongest  temptations  spring. 

Above  this  is  the  life  principle  which  man  has  in 
common  with  the  animals,  and  by  which  he  is  united 
to  the  lower  creation.  Both  animals  and  men  have 
"psyche''  (life). 

But  at  the  top  man  is  "  pneuma  "  (spirit)  which  he 
has  in  common  with  higher  beings  and  which  connects 
him  with  God.  This  distinguishes  man  above  the  animal. 
According  as  man  lives  in  one  part  of  his  nature  more 
than  another  he  is  designated  carnal,  natural  and  spirit- 
ual. 

As  the  hull  of  the  ship  is  in  the  water,  and  if  only  a 
hull,  is  tossed  up  and  down,  moved  hither  and  thither 
by  currents  and  tides,  so  man's  body  is  in  the  currents 
of  nature,  and  is  tossed  by  them.  But  a  ship  has  masts 
and  sails,  or  steam  power  w^ithin,  another  element,  and 
these  propel  the  ship  whithersoever  the  pilot  desires,  and 
the  currents  are  mastered.  So  man  has  a  spiritual 
power  within  that  was  given  to  him  to  enable  hira  to 
control  the  lower  or  carnal  nature.  ''  I  bring  my  body 
under,"  is  the  clear  statement  of  Paul. 


40  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

JSTow  the  natural  man  (the  psychical),  while  destitute 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  not  destitute  of  a  spirit.  He  is 
simply  spiritually  undeveloped.  He  has  not  come  to 
spiritual  consciousness.  His  spiritual  nature  is  asleep, 
and  his  intellectual  and  animal  natures  only  are  awake. 
The  higher  life  engermed  within  him  lies  dormant, 
being  unvivified  by  the  Spirit.  And  just  as  the  seed 
has  the  capacity  but  must  be  touched  by  the  sun  after 
being  put  into  the  earth,  so  man  must  be  touched  by 
the  Spirit  to  reach  his  highest  life. 

Again,  the  man  of  reality  will  gain  the  mastery  over 
material.  He  will  not  deny  the  material.  Matter 
to  him  is  the  expression,  the  organ  of  the  spirit.  All 
material  things  are  shot  through  with  the  glory  of 
Grod.  They  are  His  garment  of  praise;  they  em- 
body His  purpose.  God  has  nothing  but  His  own  sub- 
stance out  of  which  to  make  worlds  and  all  that  they 
contain.  Matter,  therefore,  is  not  only  divine,  but  it 
is  a  crowning  expression  of  the  divine  love  and  self- 
sacrifice.  It  is  God  giving  away  Himself  for  man  to 
use,  to  enjoy,  to  govern.  The  trouble  with  some  of 
the  new  philosophy  is  that  it  makes  matter  merely  the 
expression  of  the  mortal,  carnal  consciousness,  the 
counterfeit  of  divine  reality. 

We  differ  in  that  we  recognize  that  material  things 
are  not  realities,  in  that  they  are  not  always  to  exist. 
But  we  do  recognize  that  they  are  objects  of  experi- 
ence that  have  to  be  reckoned  with,  and  to  which  we 
have  to  adjust  ourselves  in  order  to  live.  Accordingly 
I  will  take  food;  will  care  for  my  body,  and  adjust 
myself  to  climatic  conditions. 


THE  MAN  OF  REALITY  41 

I  also  recognize  that  God  does  not  want  me  to  live 
in  materialism  any  more  than  He  wants  Israel  to  live 
in  Egypt.  He  is  calling  me  out  from  the  carnal  to  the 
spiritual.  In  the  carnal  man  the  flesh  is  pampered ;  in 
the  spiritual  man,  the  flesh  is  crucified.  The  moment 
a  man  opens  his  spiritual  life  towards  God  he  is  spiritual 
in  making.  Remnants  of  carnality  may  be  found  ad- 
hering to  him,  as  parts  of  the  shell  are  sometimes  found 
adhering  to  the  newly  hatched  bird;  but  these  being 
alien  to  his  nature,  are  soon  shed  off,  and  lie  is  free  to 
rise  heavenward,  Godward. 

And  the  man  of  reality  will  differentiate  between 
show  and  substance.  A  fish  leaps  for  a  fly,  thinking 
it  is  substance,  but  it  proves  to  be  only  a  show,  the 
fisherman's  hook.  A  savage  will  sell  his  daughter 
for  a  string  of  beads  or  a  beautiful,  gaudy  blanket,  mis- 
taking show  for  substance.  But  intelligent  people 
fooled  by  flash  and  glitter,  find  after  a  while  it  was 
only  shadow,  show,  not  substance.  Many  people  mis- 
take riches  for  wealth.  Wealth  is  the  old-fashioned 
word  for  health.  Those  who  live  for  show  have  little 
life  upon  the  surface  of  things.  Their  life  is  largely 
spectacular,  an  outward  seeming.  They  live  in  the 
senses ;  they  are  more  concerned  about  the  outward 
appearance  than  the  inward  self.  They  hold  the  same 
relation  to  solid,  substantial  life  that  the  wild-catter 
and  the  faker  hold  to  business  life.  !N^othing  much 
sadder  than  to  see  the  final  outcome  of  those  who  lived 
for  the  passing  show.     While  they  thought  they 

WEEE    EIVIXG,    they    WERE    REALLY    DYING. 

Substance  is  well  being.    It  is  character,  it  is  spirit, 


42  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

it  is  love,  faith,  hope  and  life.  "  It  is  the  man  owning 
the  fortune  instead  of  the  fortune  owning  the  man.  It 
is  being  master,  and  not  a  slave  of  self.'' 

The  man  of  reality  is  the  man  who  spiritualizes  all 
life.  "  In  his  thought  there  is  no  distinction  between 
things  sacred  and  secular.  To  him  ploughing  is  as 
spiritual  as  praying;  making  a  coat  as  singing  hymns." 
His  standard  of  measurement  is  spiritual,  not  material. 
He  says  with  the  poet : 

''  Every  mason  in  the  quarry. 
Every  builder  on  the  shore. 
Every  woodman  in  the  forest. 
Every  boatman  at  the  oar; 
Hewing  wood  and  drawing  water. 
Splitting  stones  and  clearing  sod; 
All  the  dusty  ranks  of  labour 
In  the  regiment  of  God — 
March  together  toward  His  temple; 
Do  the  tasks  His  hands  prepare. 
Honest  toil  is  holy  service ! 
Faithful  work  is  praise  and  prayer ! '' 

The  trend  of  the  hour  should  be  toward  the  spiritu- 
alizing process.  It  has  been  so  in  nature.  Wind  and 
water  have  been  displaced  by  steam.  Steam  is  being 
displaced  by  electricity.  The  coarser  kinds  of  power 
are  going ;  the  finer  is  coming  in  today. 

To  hold  wealth  for  selfish  purposes,  is  to  do  so  with 
a  shrunken  soul.  Have  you  thought  something?  Cir- 
culate it.  Have  you  earned  something?  Lift  it  up 
out  of  the  material.  To  hold  these  things,  is  to  have  a 
loaded  lumber  wagon  and  a  waning  spirituality. 


THE  MAN  OF  REALITY  43 

We  are  to  look  at  the  temporal  but  not  to 
PAUSE  THEEE.  An  office  is  not  a  place  for  making 
money,  it  is  a  place  for  making  character.  So  in  every- 
thing else.  The  problem  is  to  touch  things  visible  and 
tangible  without  clinging  to  them ;  to  handle  them  with- 
out growing  fast  to  them. 

There  is  a  lower  self  which  transacts  business.  It 
weighs,  appraises,  considers  all  things  with  a  view  to 
its  own  advantage.  It  is  the  self  of  acquisition;  it 
is  the  self  which  demands  the  comforts  of  life.  It  is 
the  self  which  misses  the  glory  of  life. 

It  is  also  true  that  the  man  of  reality  is  the  man 
who  is  fitted  tq  do  spiritual  work.  God  cannot  an- 
swer SOME  men's  prayers.  For  Him  to  do  so,  would 
be  to  put  a  premium  upon  sin.  The  hidden  wedge  of 
gold,  and  the  Babylonish  garment  must  be  disclosed  and 
restored  if  men  and  women  hope  for  power  to  work 
realities. 

^ote  the  fact  that  Elijah's  staff  did  not  work  well 
with  Gehazi  behind  it.  Whien  he  came  to  the  dead  child 
he  ^^  laid  the  staff  upon  the  face  of  the  child ;  but  there 
was  neither  voice  nor  hearing."  Why?  Because  the 
wrong  man  was  behind  the  staff.  Gehazi  had  an  evil 
heart,  and  although  the  staff  was  all  right,  the  man 
behind  it  was  not,  hence  its  failure.  When  Elijah  used 
it,  there  was  power  behind  it  because  he  was  a  man  of 
reality. 

The  man  of  reality,  then,  has  the  right  kind  of  a 
heart  to  do  things.  He  has  the  ability  to  do  them.  The 
efficiency  of  anything  depends  upon  the  value  of  the 
man    behind    it.      Put    a    spirit-filled    man    behind 


44  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

an  insignificant  instrument  and  he  is  a  power  for 
God. 

When  Moody  was  coming  to  the  front  as  an  evan- 
gelist, the  Philadelphia  preachers  discussed  the  ques- 
tion about  his  coming  to  their  city  and  holding  a  series 
of  meetings.  Some  discussion  arose  over  it.  One 
preacher  asked  the  rest :  "  Has  Dwight  L.  Moody  a 
monopoly  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  "  Another  replied :  ^'  ISTo ! 
But  the  Holy  Spirit  has  a  monopoly  of  Dwight  L. 
Moody,  therefore  we  want  him." 

The  greatest  things  of  earth  are  waiting  not  for 
more  money,  more  intelligence,  greater  programs  or 
larger  plans,  but  for  more  reality,  more  faith,  more 
hope,  more  love,  more  spirit.  When  God  can  get  His 
Moses,  His  Paul,  His  Wesley,  His  Drummond,  things 
can  be  done  that  are  worth  while. 

Thinking  upon  realities  gives  strength  of  character. 
The  spirit  in  man  is  inevitably  called  to  some  victory 
beyond  the  sphere  that  we  call  physical  or  psychical. 
It  feels  within  itself  cravings  and  intuitions  which 
these  other  environments  cannot  satisfy.  It  is  conscious 
of  a  capacity  greater  than  the  mental  or  the  physical. 

David  Swing's  life  was  full  of  interesting  events. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  is  that  of  his  boyhood 
days,  when  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  One  sum- 
mer day  he  was  driving  the  oxen,  and  came  to  a 
crystal  spring  of  water  under  a  clump  of  trees.  The 
boy  and  his  oxen  both  stopped  to  drink.  As  the  boy 
did  so,  he  caught  a  reflection  of  the  oxen's  eyes  in 
the  water  and  a  reflection  of  himself.  The  beauty  of 
the  reflection  thrilled  him  and  filled  him  with  dreams 


THE  MAN  OF  REALITY  45 

and  aspirations,  so  that  he  forgot  his  errand.  At  sun- 
down friends  found  him  still  there  dreaming,  and 
scolded  him.  He  did  not  heed  them,  for  other  voices 
were  calling.  He  had  seen  a  vision,  a  reality,  and  its 
beauty  and  power  had  awakened  him,  and  he  went 
forth  to  be  a  man  of  power. 

In  the  light  of  reality,  the  beauty  of  Absalom  is 
an  eye-sore;  the  knowledge  of  Bacon  alphabetical;  the 
imagination  of  Shakespeare  a  spark  of  nature's  fire; 
the  sculptures  of  Angelo,  rude  sketches;  the  music  of 
Handel  of  ordinary  character;  and  the  sceptre  of  a 
king  a  reed;  and  the  greatness  of  human  efforts  little 
and  insignificant.  When  one  moves  up  into  the  spirit- 
ual realities,  he  is  awaking  to  the  glory  of  all  splendour, 
all  power,  all  dignity  and  all  achievement. 

The  man  of  reality  finds  his  thinking  upon  "  these 
things ''  gives  him  health  and  power.  With  the  na- 
tural eye  man  sees  disease  and  weakness.  Fear  sees 
them  develop  and  run  their  course,  ending  in  death 
and  disaster.  The  image  of  the  things  we  think  upon, 
create  the  results  of  life.  A  thing  in  the  mind  is 
created  in  the  life.  Remember  what  Job  said :  "  The 
thing  which  I  feared  greatly  is  come  upon  me." 

But  the  eye  of  reality  sees  Him  who  said :  ^^  Fear 
not,  for  I  am  with  thee.''  It  also  sees  the  Christ 
coming  over  the  wave  of  difficulty  bringing  succour  and 
deliverance.  It  sees  the  infused  life  driving  out  the 
pain  and  the  weakness  of  our  life.  It  sees  that  in 
spirit  thinking  these  things  must  go,  and  we  can  thus 
gain  the  victory. 

"  So   long   as   we   recognize   physical   conditions   as 


46  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

having  power  over  us,  just  so  long  will  they  bind  us. 
We  hold  them  in  the  body  by  looking  at  them  and 
dwelling  upon  them.  But  looking  at  realities,  gives 
health  and  power." 

To  find  reality  we  must  follow  the  Christ  life  and 
truth.  The  city  of  Venice  is  built  on  a  large  number 
of  islands,  and  these  are  divided  by  one  hundred  and 
fifty  canals  on  which  great  numbers  of  gondolas  or  water 
vehicles  move  along.  Beside  the  canals,  there  are  also 
many  streets  on  the  solid  ground  through  which  one  can 
walk.  They  are  very  narrow  and  winding.  Crooked 
and  crowded  as  they  are,  one  may  easily  lose  his  way. 
But  to  help  those  who  want  to  find  the  way  a  line  in 
white  marble  has  been  laid  in  the  street.  Following 
that  the  traveller  will  come  in  safety  to  the  bridge  Onte 
di  Rialto.  Once  there,  the  traveller  is  at  home  again. 
Tourists  in  Venice  say  to  one  another :  "  Follow  the 

WHITE  LINE  !  " 

In  the*  crooked,  crowded  life  of  this  world,  a  white 
line  has  been  laid,  in  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus 
Christ.  If  it  is  followed  it  cannot  but  help  lead  to 
reality.  Paul  followed  Him,  and  he  has  a  place  for- 
ever in  history.  Luther  followed  Him,  and  he  was 
swung  out  with  a  new  power  that  made  him  the  leader 
of  a  new  civilization.  Livingstone  followed  Him,  and 
he  opened  up  a  new  continent  to  life  and  development, 
and  is  crowned  with  honour  at  Westminster  Abbey. 
To  follow  the  gleam,  is  to  find  the  light;  to  receive 
the  truth  is  to  have  the  quickening  of  power. 

And  if  we  want  reality,  we  will  have  to  pay  the 
price  for  it.     The  most  precious  things  are  ever  the 


THE  MAN  OF  REALITY  47 

most  difficult  to  procure.  The  diamond  lies  buried  in 
the  soil,  the  pearl  in  the  water,  the  metal  in  the  rock, 
the  intelligence  in  the  study,  the  concentration  in  the 
attention,  the  success  in  the  self-sacrifice  and  renuncia- 
tion. 

No    UNSPIRITUAL    LIFE    CAN    ENTER    THE    REALM    OF 

REALITIES.  The  key  that  unlocks  these  mysteries  is 
in  the  spiritual  combination.  Cleverness,  intellectual 
ability,  wealth,  standing,  fame  and  beauty  are  power- 
less to  give  you  the  "  seeing  "  that  transfigures  earthly 
things,  and  gives  the  substance  of  life. 

It  is  said  that  the  air  of  a  cave  in  Kentucky  has 
a  peculiar  power  of  stimulating  the  senses.  After  the 
visitor  has  been  in  its  strange  and  silent  labyrinth  for 
an  hour  or  two,  and  comes  back  into  the  open  air,  he 
brings  with  him  the  scent  of  flowers,  trees  and  grasses 
that  are  delightful.  Eeality  will  come  to  you  if  you 
get  away  from  the  glaring  lights  and  blandishments 
and  theatricalities  of  this  material  world;  if  you  will 
spiritualize  the  buying  and  the  selling;  if  you  banish 
the  coarse  surfeiting  and  stupefying  luxury  and  wanton- 
ness of  society  so-called,  and  in  the  quiet  of  God's 
presence  suffer  yourself  to  be  absorbed  by  His  Word,  to 
be  saved  by  His  Son,  and  quickened  and  led  by  His 
Spirit.  It  is  a  great  price !  But  it  is  a  great  reward : 
the  reward  of  reality. 

Oh,  you  who  tread  the  ways  of  earth, 
You  are  immaculate  of  birth; 
From  height  to  depth,  from  star  to  sod. 
There  is  no  separate  thing  from  God. 


48  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

God  does  not  manifest  through  man 

The  scope  and  purpose  of  his  plan. 

Absorb  the  grandeur  of  the  thought, 

For  thus  may  miracles'  be  wrought ; 

Truth  is  the  lock,  and  love  the  key; 

All  things  are  yours  to  do  and  be ; 

Go  claim  the  vast  stupendous  whole, 

Go,  on  to  the  heights,  immortal  soul. — Anon, 


m 

LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE 

WE  all  enjoy  looking  at  masterpieces.  To  look 
at  Raphael's  '^  Transfiguration " ;  to  see 
Angelo's  ''  Moses  " ;  to  hear  Handel's  "  Mes- 
siah " ;  to  read  Hugo's  "  Les  Miserables  '' ;  to  feel  the 
Spirit's  life  within,  is  to  awaken  the  best  within  us. 
All  these  tone  up  and  stir  the  grandeur  of  life  and 
push  us  on  to  be  masterpieces  ourselves.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  Life  is  the  greatest  of  all  masterpieces. 
Men  are  more  than  things.  The  greatest  figure  in 
English  history  is  that  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  Mighty  in 
will,  strong  of  spirit,  pure  in  heart,  courageous  for  his 
countrymen,  he  made  himself  England's  masterpiece. 

If  the  youth  of  our  land  were  asked  to  write  an  essay 
on  the  greatest  man  of  the  nineteenth  century,  they 
would  be  unanimous  in  giving  Abraham  Lincoln  that 
place.  We  admire  him  not  for  his  famous  classic 
speech  at  Gettysburg;  not  for  his  honesty  alone;  not 
for  his  great  unselfish  love,  but  for  the  poise  and  master- 
piece heart  and  life  that  make  him  the  idol  of  the 
American  heart  today.     He  is  our  "  masterpiece." 

"  The  greatest  power  in  the  world  is  personal,  and 
personal  power  culminates  when  wisdom  and  knowledge 
are  married  to  goodness  and  love."  The  Biography  of 
a  good  man  summons  him  to  the  supreme  achievements 

49 


50  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

of  life.  We  get  a  greater  civilization  through  a  great 
inner  civilization  begotten  by  the  stirring  men  and 
women  of  other  days.  The  militant  call  comes  to  us, 
as  we  see  and  hear  the  militant  heroes  of  the  past.  To 
live  with  masterpieces  is  to  become  a  masterpiece  our- 
selves. The  ideal  can  become  real.  But  how  ?  Let  us 
see. 

First,  every  one  has  in  him  the  masterpiece  materials 
and  tools.  Look  at  the  world  materials  about  us. 
Everything  that  we  need  is  to  be  found.  As  a  result, 
the  world  solicits  man's  greatest  power  and  achievement. 
Mines,  waterfalls,  valleys,  forests,  quarries,  air,  sun- 
shine, light,  heat  and  unseen  forces  challenge  us.  Tools 
equal  to  the  emergency  are  made  and  await  our  control 
and  orders.  But  more  than  matching  all  these  are  the 
tools  of  mind,  memory,  reason  and  will.  "  Xenophon 
tells  of  a  Grecian  youth  who  was  so  eager  to  win  the 
chariot  race  that  he  added  steed  to  steed  until  there 
were  eight  fiery  chargers  pulling  the  chariot  toward  the 
goal.  God  is  so  anxious  for  His  child  to  win  the  race 
of  life  that  He  has  given  him  more  than  forty  chargers, 
that  they  might  be  the  faculties  that  would  win  the  race 
of  life." 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  take  the  iron  of  the  hills 
and  build  it  into  engines,  bridges  and  machinery.  It 
is  a  great  thing  to  take  the  forests  and  hew  them 
down,  and  cut  them  up  and  erect  great  buildings. 
It  is  a  great  thing  to  take  the  quarry  and  blast  out  its 
blocks  and  erect  the  stately  temple.  It  is  a  greater 
thing  to  take  the  canvas  and  bring  out  with  the  tools 
of  the  mind,  the  wonderful  "  Angelus,"  the  awe  in- 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  51 

spiring,  solemnizing  "  Christ  Before  Pilate."  It  is 
a  greater  thing  to  take  words,  and  construct  out  of  them 
a  book  like  that  of  Paul's  ^'  Epistle  to  the  Romans." 
But  it  is  the  greatest  thing  to  take  an  imperishable 
spirit,  and  with  faith  and  love,  like  tools,  bring  out  a 
life  beautiful,  glowing  with  the  presence  and  power  of 
God.  Emerson  has  only  partly  told  us  the  truth  when 
he  says :  "  Man,  thou  palace  of  sight  and  sound,  carry- 
ing in  thy  senses  the  nights  and  the  mornings',  the  sum- 
mers and  the  winters,  carrying  in  thy  brain  the  geometry 
of  the  city  of  God,  in  thy  heart  all  the  bowers  of  love 
and  all  the  realms  of  right  and  wrong,  thou  art  great." 

Yes !  Man  carries  in  him  the  infinity  of  all  things. 
Would  he  sing?  Back  of  his  melody,  is  the  infinite 
melody  trying  to  express  itself  in  him,  for  we  read: 
"  All  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy."  Back  of  the 
physician  is  the  All  life  of  God,  trying  to  help  him  to 
give  greater  life  to  his  patients.  Back  of  the  preacher 
and  teacher  is  the  All  Wisdom,  All  Truth,  trying  to 
help  them  instruct  mankind.  Back  of  the  mechanic  is 
the  All  Power  of  creative  genius  trying  to  express 
through  him  the  ability  to  make  all  things  necessary  for 
the  happiness  of  the  world.  Back  of  the  clerk  and 
the  servant,  is  the  All  Serving  Father,  trying  to  make 
effective  a  life  of  utility  and  service  that  makes  for  the 
continued  health  and  life  of  all.  It  is  true,  then, 
that  back  of  mankind,  are  the  roots  of  all  greatness  and 
efficiency.  Spirit  and  mind  expressed  through  a  fine 
body,  furnish  the  requisite  materials  and  tools  for  man's 
success  in  life,  as  a  masterpiece. 

In  the  next  place,  for  a  man  to  make  life  a  master- 


52  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

piece,  he  must  have  a  masterpiece  guide.  He  has  such 
in  the  Bible.  It  is  the  world's  masterpiece,  because  it 
has  inspired  all  other  masterpieces  of  art,  literature, 
history,  philosophy  and  living.  When  Raphael  v^ould 
make  himself  forever  famous  in  his  masterpiece,  he 
must  tarry  on  "  The  Mount  of  Transfiguration,"  until 
he  should  catch  the  glory  of  that  scene.  When  Angelo 
would  leave  fame  behind  him,  he  must  sculpture  the 
great  "  Moses  "  as  he  saw  him  the  lawgiver  and  mouth- 
piece of  God.  Handel  lives  because  he  glorified  "  The 
Messiah,"  as  seen  in  the  prophets,  among  his  disciples, 
and  the  glory  of  the  angelic  host.  Bunyan  immortal- 
ized himself  by  the  story  of  the  "  Christian  "  in  "  Pil- 
grim's Progress."  Milton,  Dante,  Shakespeare,  Tenny- 
son and  Browning,  all  tuned  their  writings  to  the  glory 
and  inspiration  of  the  truth  of  the  Word  of  God,  and 
they  live  as  masters  of  thought.  Bach,  Beethoven, 
Mendelssohn,  Gounod  and  Haydn  all  lived  in  the 
glories  and  raptures  of  the  music  of  God's  grandeur  re- 
vealed in  history,  and  they  lift  the  soul  up  into  the 
region  of  high  and  lofty  endeavour.  He  who  will  follow 
the  guide,  will  be  led  into  paths  of  greatness  and  vision, 
that  make  men  mighty  and  glorious  for  furthering  the 
interests  of  God's  kingdom  in  the  earth. 

As  I  look  over  the  history  of  the  world,  I  discover 
that  this  blessed  Old  Book  has  given  the  paths  that  have 
led  to  the  grandest  manhood  and  womanhood;  to  the 
broadest  philanthropy;  to  the  highest  statesmanship; 
to  the  best  institutions  of  righteousness;  to  the  safest 
scholarship  and  to  the  finest  living.  I  am  therefore 
sure  that  the  greatest  places  in  man's  life  will  come  as 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  53 

he  hews  out  his  steps  from  the  Rock  of  Ages,  as  seen  in 
the  Bible. 

Again,  no  man  can  make  life  a  masterpiece,  unless 
he  has  a  masterpiece  teacher.  Jesus  Christ,  alone  has 
such  essentials.  He  is  The  Teacher;  all  other  teachers 
are  poor  submasters ;  there  is  no  second  to  Him.  "  In 
Him  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  "  and  might. 
Through  Him  comes  the  uplift  and  insight  that  makes 
men  great.  E'o  man  can  claim  the  honours  of  juris- 
prudence, medicine,  philosophy,  literature  and  art,  who 
has  not  sat  at  His  feet,  and  caught  His  view  of  life 
and  service.  "  One  thing  thou  lackest "  is  always 
true  of  every  man,  no  matter  how  fine  and  strong  he  is 
in  thought  and  practice,  if  he  has  not  been  with  Jesus 
"  and  learned  of  HIM."  And  this  lacking  of  one 
thing,  makes  a  man  mediocre  at  the  judgment  bar  of 
history  and  of  God.  In  this  day  of  New  Thought  and 
mental  stimulus,  we  must  not  get  away  from  him, 
Who    is    the    only    safe    thought     teacher,     and 

Who    is    MORE    THAN    A    "  WAYSHOWER."       He    IS    "  THE 
WAY." 

This  Master  can  bring  out  the  powers  of  your  life 
and  mind  as  none  else  in  all  the  world.  Poverty  of 
thought  and  biography  would  come  to  this  world  if  V7c 
should  take  out  of  it  those  lives  which  have  been 
made  by  Him.  History  would  lose  its  best  results; 
civilization  would  still  be  in  the  dark  ages;  and 
life  in  its  reality,  would  be  but  dimly  conscious  of 
itself. 

Take  one  single  instance  as  an  illustration  of  this 
thought.    Jesus  said  to  Peter  when  he  met  him :    "  Thou 


54  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

art — Thou  shalt  be !  "  What  insight !  What  inspira- 
tion! What  power  to  bring  it  about!  What  a  vision 
to  the  man !  What  a  leap  upward !  "  Thou  art." 
Sometimes  it  is  said  by  the  Master  with  a  sob;  for  he 
sees  the  sin,  the  poor  ideals  of  our  lives.  Then,  there 
comes  a  wondrous  joy  into  His  eyes,  as  He  says :  ^^  Thou 
shalt  be ! ''  If  it  was  true  of  Simon,  and  it  was,  it 
can  be  true  of  us.  The  undisciplined,  passionate,  hot, 
impulsive  Simon,  became  Peter. 

Actuality  says :  "  Thou  art !  "  Potentiality  of  grace 
in  Christ  Jesus,  says :  "  Thou  shalt  be !  "  There  is  re- 
claimability  in  us.  And  the  Teacher  despairs  of  no 
pupil  that  comes  to  Him.  He  has  faith  in  the  scholar ; 
He  will  make  him  a  masterpiece. 

In  John  Ruskin's  ''  Ethics  of  the  Dust,"  we  have  a 
number  of  illustrations  of  the  transforming  power  of 
nature.  The  clay  will  become  the  ever-changing  opal; 
the  sand  will  become  the  beautiful  sapphire;  the  soot 
will  become  the  sparkling  diamond.  And  the  foul  water 
will  be  drawn  up  into  the  laboratory  of  the  skies,  and 
transformed  into  soft  rain  and  the  pure  snowflake. 
That  is  nature's  "  Thou  art— thou  shalt  be !  " 

Begbie's  "  Twice  Born  Men,"  gives  us  even  a  greater 
picture  of  the  thought :  ^'  Thou  art — thou  shalt  be !  " 
in  the  many  characters  who  have  been  redeemed  by  the 
grace  of  Christ.  Our  Teacher  made  Jacob,  Israel; 
Simon,  Peter;  Saul,  Paul.  He  has  never  known  de- 
feat when  the  pupil  was  obedient  to  His  commands  and 
instructions.  Life  can  be  a  masterpiece  with  Him. 
Some  teachers  would  not  have  undertaken  to  retrieve 
David  after  such  a  disaster  from  sin,  in  his  life.    But 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  55 

the  Master  put  away  his  sin,  and  made  him  a  "  man 
after  God's  own  heart/' 

It  is  Christ,  the  teacher^  Who  has  grasped  all 
principles  of  wealth,  education,  science,  philosophy, 
history,  and  could  say  to  all  men :  "  He  that  heareth 
these  sayings  of  mine,  and  doeth  them,  builds  on  a 
rock  and  shall  stand ;  and  he  that  doeth  them  not,  builds 
on  the  sand,  and  shall  fall." 

iN'ow  notice,  that  if  a  man's  life  is  to  be  a  master- 
piece without,  it  must  first  be  a  masterpiece  within. 
JS'othing  can  be  evolved  that  has  not  first  been  involved. 
"  Paint,  canvas  and  brushes,  are  all  outside  forces. 
Genius,  intelligence,  morality,  conscience,  are  inside 
forces.  And  just  as  the  pure  marble  has  in  itself  the 
beautiful  statue;  just  as  the  diamond  has  in  itself  the 
glow  and  the  radiance  of  the  sun;  just  as  the  acorn  has 
in  itself  the  elements  that  go  to  make  up  the  strength 
and  symmetry  of  the  tree;  so  a  thousand  times  more 
man  has  in  himseK  the  beauty,  the  symmetry,  the  colour, 
the  power,  that  makes  him  a  masterpiece  in  the  world." 

InTo  man  was  ever  greater  than  he  planned  or  longed 
to  be.  All  workmen,  whatever  they  are  doing,  must 
know  what  they  are  going  to  do,  or  to  come  near  to  it, 
before  they  begin  to  work.  This  we  know  is  true  of  the 
artist.  The  painter  tries  to  sketch  out  his  ideal  before 
he  touches  the  canvas.  The  architect  completes  his 
drawings  and  his  models  before  he  begins  to  work  at 
the  foundation  of  his  edifice.  The  poet  begins  to  fore- 
cast, at  least  in  his  mind,  the  probable  direction,  the 
true  limits  of  his  song,  of  his  argument,  before  he 
essays  to  submit  his  thought  to  all  the  restraints  of 


56  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

rhyme  and  verse.  To  have  a  great  ideal,  is  to  grow, 
to  enlarge,  is  to  move  outward  and  upward ;  is  to  attain 
unto  something  worth  while  in  life. 

Eudjard  Kipling  tells  us  the  story  of  "  Kim,"  how 
the  boy  used  to  lose  his  sense  of  personality  by  repeating 
to  himself  the  question :  "  Who  is  Kim  ?  "  Gradually 
his  personality  would  seem  to  fade  and  he  would  ex- 
perience a  feeling  of  passing  into  a  grander  and  bigger 
life,  in  which  the  boy  "  Kim  "  was  unknown,  which 
caused  his  individuality  to  be  exalted  and  expanded 
until  he  sought  the  greater  being  he  was  capable  of 
becoming. 

When  will  we  learn  that  we  can  give  nothing  we  have 
not  first  acquired  ?  We  cannot  make  others  better  than 
ourselves.  Our  actual  attainments  are  the  boundaries 
of  our  influences  and  achievements ;  the  rest  is  ^'  hay, 
wood,  stubble,"  fuel  for  destruction.  If  we  would 
make  others  true,  noble,  strong;  these  virtues  must 
first  enter  us  to  get  to  them.  Truths  which  make  our 
children  great  and  fine  in  life  are  dependent  on  the 
transmissions  of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the  subordinated 
spirits  of  fathers  and  mothers  to  the  life  of  God  in 
them.  The  gold  and  silver  of  the  spiritual  sort  that 
we  want  in  our  children  are  not  mined  on  earth ;  nor  are 
they  concrete  things  we  can  manufacture  by  our  own 
industry.  Such  things  come  out  of  the  depths  of 
spirituality  in  God,  and  they  come  expecting  and  re- 
warding our  faith  in  Him  and  in  them.  If  we  are  to 
obtain  lasting  social  betterment  it  must  be  brought 
through  men  and  women  of  more  uniform  loveliness  of 
temper  and  supreme  devotion  of  life ;  men  and  women 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  67 

rapt  with  the  passion  for  service  and  not  merely  tempo- 
rarily enthusiastic  about  its  fads  and  fringes.  The 
millennium  would  have  arrived  ages  ago  if  fervid 
rhetoric  and  the  adoption  of  resolutions  would  have  cap- 
tured it.  So-called  progress  and  culture  without  God 
within,  heap  on  the  disappointment  and  the  agony  of 
the  world  without. 

Our  trouble  today  is  that  we  are  weak  on  the  inside 
forces.  Let  us  turn  back  and  look  at  the  fathers  a 
moment.  "  Our  fathers  had  but  few  outside  forces 
on  which  to  rely.  They  were  not  allowed  to  lie  long  in 
the  cradle,  or  to  play  long  in  the  nursery.  Nature  was 
rugged  and  often  rough  with  them.  The  old  farm  house 
stood  far  from  its  nearest  neighbour,  and  drifts  of 
snow  and  swollen  streams  brought  about  great  isolation. 
When  the  winter  night  came,  there  were  no  picture 
shows,  theatres  or  phonographs  to  take  up  the  time.  If 
the  family  would  pass  a  pleasant  evening  they  must 
develop  the  inside  forces  of  the  home,  and  find  their 
comedies  and  tragedies  on  the  stage  of  their  own  lives. 
No  newspapers,  no  magazines  allured  them  out  of  them- 
selves. There  in  their  own  little  world,  they  wrought 
out,  thought  out  their  politics,  their  religion,  and  their 
convictions  of  life.  In  education,  the  school  was  poorly 
furnished;  the  teacher  rarely  trained,  and  the  text 
books  those  that  had  come  down  through  successive 
family  generations.  Yet  out  of  such  schoolhouses 
and  homes  came  leaders  who  founded  states,  wrote 
constitutions,  built  a  republic,  grappled  with  the  diplo- 
macy of  Europe."  Out  of  such  homes  came  orators 
who  thrilled  men  and  women  with  inspiring  eloquence. 


58  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Out  of  such  homes  came  mighty  preachers  who  gripped 
men^s  hearts  and  accomplished  mighty  things  for  God. 
Out  of  such  homes  came  great  merchants  who  knew  how 
to  he  wise  in  their  stewardship,  democratic  in  their 
tastes  and  brotherly  in  their  relations.  Out  of  such 
homes  came  the  wonder  of  the  world — America  with 
her  great  life  and  people. 

Now  contrast  with  this  what  was  said  by  some  lead- 
ing educators  a  few  years  ago  in  a  convention.  They 
complained  that  they  could  not  get  the  young  man  to 
think  keenly.  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at.  When 
you  give  a  boy  from  eight  to  sixteen  a  go-cart,  a  bicycle, 
an  automobile  and  plenty  of  money  to  go  to  school 
with,  who  would  expect  him  to  be  a  good  walker,  a  good 
illustration  of  a  fine  body  ?  When  you  have  surrounded 
the  boy  in  school  with  every  ingenious  outside  support, 
endless  explanations,  charts,  diagrams,  specialists  and 
specialties — why  should  you  wonder  that  the  average 
boy  cannot  think  for  himself?  When  you  give  a  girl 
■Q.ye  cents  to  take  the  street  car  instead  of  walking  six 
blocks  to  school ;  allow  her  to  get  up  late  and  to  share 
no  part  in  the  home  duties ;  to  primp  and  fuss  over  her 
looks  and  dress ;  to  think  of  the  frivolities  of  society ;  to 
go  where  she  pleases  at  night ;  and  have  forfeited  nearly 
all  government  and  control  over  her — why  should  you 
wonder  that  womanhood  is  deteriorating  from  its  ro- 
bustness, and  alertness,  and  thoughtfulness,  to  weakness 
and  shortsightedness?  The  inside  forces  are  lacking 
today.    The  outside  forces  reveal  such  weakness. 

A  distinguished  professor  one  time  said :  "  If  I  had 
a  son,  I  should  tell  him  many  times  a  day  to  make  him- 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  59 

self  as  big  on  the  inside  as  possible."  Our  greatest 
panic  is  not  on  the  outside  of  life,  but  on  the  inside. 
Get  your  riches  of  spirit,  of  mind,  and  the  outer  life 
of  power  and  beauty  surely  follow. 

Again,  life  as  a  masterpiece  will  select  and  reject. 
There  is  a  great  amount  of  material  at  hand,  and  some 
of  it  is  better  than  the  other.  When  a  classmate  of 
mine  entered  Harvard  College,  he  ran  his  thought 
over  the  courses  offered  by  the  University  and  said  if  he 
should  take  all  that  he  wanted  to,  he  would  be  fifty- 
six  years  getting  through  college.  He  had  to  select 
and  reject.  He  did  so,  taking  those  that  would  best 
fit  him  for  his  chosen  profession. 

The  first  process  in  making  a  masterpiece  picture 
is  one  of  selection  and  rejection.  All  must  be  made 
subsidiary  to  the  one  thing  that  is  to  be  emphasized. 

All  this  agrees  with  God's  method  as  seen  in  Gideon 
and  his  three  hundred  men.  When  the  thirty  thousand 
came  to  the  call  of  Gideon,  God  told  him  that  he  had 
quantity  not  quality;  that  he  must  select  and  reject. 
Those  who  feared  and  trembled  were  told  that  they 
might  retire,  and  twenty  thousand  went  home.  Still 
another  test  was  made;  another  selection  and  rejection 
must  come,  and  God  would  do  it  Himself.  Coming 
down  to  the  water  one  day  after  a  hard  march  in  the 
hot  sun,  the  men  were  thirsty  and  wanted  a  drink  of 
water  more  than  anything  else  in  the  world.  Nine 
thousand  and  seven  hundred  men  threw  aside  their 
weapons,  and  abandoned  themselves  to  drinking.  Fall- 
ing flat  down,  they  drank  and  drank — and  drank  some 
more.     They  cared  nothing  for  anything  else  at  that 


60  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

moment;  they  must  slake  their  thirst.  But  three 
hundred  men  did  not  go  down  like  the  rest  of  them; 
they  fell  on  one  knee,  and  kept  their  weapons  by  their 
side.  The  enemy  might  be  just  across  the  river  and 
surprise  them;  therefore  they  were  alert  to  the  business 
to  which  they  had  given  their  thought  and  devotion. 
They  lapped  from  their  hands  as  a  dog  would  lap  the 
water.  The  selection  now  has  been  made,  and  God 
has  a  band  of  men  who  have  given  Jehovah  their  wills, 
their  hearts,  their  minds,  and  their  bodies.  Something 
vdll  come  from  such  men ;  they  will  be  irresistible  when 
they  meet  the  enemy. 

Well  does  Campbell  Morgan  say  about  this  scene: 
"  God  cannot  use  the  men  who  take  unnecessary  time 
to  do  necessary  things.  It  is  necessary  to  drink,  to  eat, 
to  sleep,  to  take  recreation.  But  when  some  great 
work  for  God  is  on,  if  you  take  unnecessary  time  to  do 
these  things  in  the  presence  of  the  greater  things,  God 
will  pass  you  by,  and  select  the  man  who  is  thinking 
more  of  His  work  and  need,  than  of  your  own  work 
and  need." 

Put  God  into  the  first  place  in  your  life.  If  you 
will  examine  yourself  you  will  discover  that  you  are 
clinging  to  the  exterior  things,  rather  than  the  internal 
things.  Your  selecting  and  rejecting  will  place  you 
where  you  belong,  as  to  your  power  with  God  and  the 
world. 

In  the  next  place  to  have  a  life  as  a  masterpiece, 
means  you  must  undertake  the  masterpiece  work.  "  We 
do  not  get  the  most  out  of  a  thousand  dollar  piano 
if  we  use  it  for  strumming  ragtime  music.     We  do 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  61 

not  get  the  most  out  of  a  surgical  instrument  of  finely 
tempered  steel  if  we  cut  the  leaves  of  a  new  magazine 
with  it.  We  do  not  get  the  most  out  of  a  Nasmyth  ham- 
mer if  we  employ  it  as  a  substitute  for  a  nut  cracker. 
We  do  not  get  the  most  out  of  a  Hoe  press  if  we  set 
it  to  printing  visiting  cards.  In  the  same  way  we 
should  not  get  the  most  out  of  Mr.  Edison  by  engaging 
him  to  repair  automobiles,  or  out  of  ex-President  Eliot 
by  placing  him  in  charge  of  a  class  in  a  kindergarten 
school.  The  only  way  to  utilize  either  an  instrument  or 
a  man  to  the  full  is  to  occupy  that  instrument  or  that 
man  in  the  highest  and  most  difficult  service — a  service 
limited  only  by  the  extent  of  capacity.  From  a  merely 
business  point  of  view  it  is  stupid  folly  and  policy 
to  allow  a  high  grade  apparatus  to  do  a  low  grade 
work." 

You  owe  it  to  yourself  and  your  God  to  make  a  coat 
of  arms  for  yourself ;  to  make  a  family  name  worthy  of 
your  day  and  life;  to  secure  riches  of  character  that 
shall  make  you  one  of  God's  noblemen. 

What  are  we  to  do?  A  man  is  himself  false  before 
he  deliberately  tells  a  falsehood,  and  thereby  not  only 
brands  himself  before  the  automatic  judgment  seat 
within  him,  but  discredits  himself  in  the  appreciation 
of  his  fellow-men,  so  that  it  becomes  difficult  for  him  to 
qualify  again  in  the  sacred  court  of  truth.  When  Aris- 
totle was  asked  what  a  man  could  gain  by  telling  a  false- 
hood he  replied :  "  Never  to  be  credited  when  he  speaks 
the  truth." 

When  we  fall  below  the  standard  of  manhood  we 
relegate  ourselves  to  a  danger  zone  of  life  where,  usually, 


62  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

we  become  pusillanimous.  Being  then  destitute  of  that 
strength  of  mind  and  firmness  of  will  necessary  to  moral 
courage,  we  deteriorate  into  underlings,  with  a  self- 
imposed  and  ignominious  price  upon  us. 

It  is  a  black  day  for  ourselves  and  others  when  the  low 
grade  of  our  everyday  life  displays  the  atrocious  ad- 
vertisement that  we  can  be  bought,  if  others  will  put 
up  the  coin.  However,  the  greatest  cost  is  always  paid 
by  the  man  who  sells  himself.  When  he  puts  his  char- 
acter, his  reputation,  himself,  in  the  market,  then 
moral  bankruptcy  is  sure  to  follow. 

What  then  is  the  demand  upon  a  masterpiece  life? 
Is  the  world  about  you  wrong,  are  its  ideals  confused, 
its  social  life  tyrannical,  its  industrial  life  oppressive, 
its  political  life  corrupt,  its  religious  life  antiquated? 
You  are  here  with  power  and  help,  to  set  these  things 
right !  You  were  born  not  to  acquiesce,  but  to  mould ; 
not  to  love  the  chimney  corner,  but  to  stand  in  the  open 
and  defy  all  wrong. 

The  'New  Testament  is  forever  being  written.  How 
will  you  go  into  its  record?  You  cannot  have  a  first- 
class  experience,  without  a  first-class  service.  The  Rich 
Young  Euler  had  his  chance  but  he  turned  it  down. 
Paul  took  his  chance  and  lives  as  a  glorious  masterpiece 
life. 

Will  you  march  into  the  record  of  God,  like  a  disciple, 
or  will  you  sneak  out  of  it  like  a  coward  ?  It  is  for  you 
to  say.  But  life  as  a  masterpiece,  will  march  in  to  the 
work  and  service  of  God  and  humanity  that  it  may  be 
Israel,  not  Jacob;  saint  not  sinner;  server  not  retarder; 
builder  not  destroyer. 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  63 

On  Chinese  Gordon's  monument  in  St.  Paul's  Cathe- 
dral, proud  England  has  inscribed  this  epitaph :  "  Who 
at  all  times  and  everywhere  gave  his  strength  to  the 
weak,  his  substance  to  the  poor,  his  sympathy  to  the 
suffering  and  his  heart  to  God." 

One  fine  writer  has  said :  "  A  great  thing  is  never 
chanced.  It  comes  because  there  is  a  great  soul  artist 
somewhere.  Look  at  Lowell's  ^  Commencement  Ode,' 
his  greatest  work.  He  didn't  chance  to  write  it.  There 
was  a  man  high  enough  up,  deep  enough  in  the  sky 
to  see  down  on  the  ground  how  things  are.  You  cannot 
stay  down  on  the  ground  and  tell  how  things  are.  If 
you  are  amongst  them,  you  get  mixed  as  to  altitudes. 
You  have  got  to  get  above  things  and  look  down  on  them 
to  understand  how  high  up  they  are.  You  stand  on  the 
ground  and  the  skyscraper  scrapes  the  sky.  You  get 
on  the  mountain  and  the  skyscraper  is  an  architectural 
joke.  It  isn't  even  a  hill;  just  a  box  to  do  business  in. 
And  Lowell  was  high  enough  up  to  look  down  and  see 
how  things  were;  that  is  all."  When  one  gets  big 
enough  on  the  inside,  the  masterpiece  comes,  provided  he 
will  undertake  the  masterpiece  work. 

The  thing  I  need  to  say  is  not  to  be  great,  be  rich, 
powerful,  for  these  are  the  words  of  the  world  rung 
into  your  ears  every  day.  I  need  not  say:  seek  a  great 
name,  for  that  is  born  in  man  and  emphasized  by  every 
mother  for  her  child.  But  I  do  need  to  say:  Do  a 
MASTERPIECE  WORK !  This  will  lead  you  to  a  master- 
piece LIFE. 

And  now  think  of  the  influence  of  a  masterpiece 
life  upon  men  and  women.     "  In  his  famous  story  of 


64  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

archery,  Virgil  represents  Acestes,  as  shooting  his  arrow 
with  such  force  that  it  took  fire  as  it  flew  and  went  up 
into  the  air  all  aflame,  thus  opening  from  the  place 
where  the  archer  stood  a  pathway  of  light  into  the 
heavens." 

'^  It  is  thus  given  to  man's  influence  to  fulfil  this 
beautiful  story,  in  that  it  shall  open  up  shining  path- 
ways along  which  human  steps  may  move,  and  human 
lives  may  live.  A  great  life  is  the  fuel  for  the  fires  of 
righteousness;  it  is  a  rudder  that  guides  others  across 
the  right  pathway  of  life ;  it  is  a  seed  for  great  harvests 
of  goodness  and  sustenance  to  come;  it  is  a  builder 
for  thoughts;  an  instrument  for  players;  a  picture  to 
copy  and  enthuse  over." 

The  influence  of  a  man  upon  his  household!  How 
tremendous!  How  important!  The  whole  current  of 
history  is  being  affected  by  his  life  in  that  house- 
hold !  It  is  not  his  own  life  that  is  so  much  at  stake 
by  what  he  thinks,  does,  and  says,  but  those  who 
have  been  given  to  him  to  mould  and  shape  for  all  life. 

Here  is  a  home  in  l^ew  England.  The  ancestry  is 
good  and  wholesome.  Religious  life  has  been  handed 
down  for  a  number  of  generations,  and  the  children 
of  this  household  are  all  Christians.  There  comes  a 
time  when  the  sons  go  out  to  make  their  way  in  life. 
Both  go  Avith  fine  ideals  and  Christian  characters.  One 
holds  to  his  ideals  and  deepens  his  Christian  experience 
and  adds  to  the  forces  of  good  in  his  own  and  all  house- 
holds where  he  enters.  He  has  switched  no  one  away 
from  the  right  path  and  thought  by  a  bad  example.  "Ro 
one  can  stand  at  the  judgment  throne  and  accuse  him 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  65 

of  leading  them  away  from  God  and  truth.  The  other 
begins  to  drift  after  awhile  through  the  pressure  of 
his  business  and  the  glare  and  power  of  worldliness. 
He  forgets  to  go  to  the  place  of  prayer  and  worship. 
His  children  also  slip  away  from  the  house  of  God,  and 
wander  into  the  ^vays  of  the  world.  Their  children 
are  doing  the  same  thing.  And  so  it  will  go  on,  perhaps 
forever.  One  man's  faithlessness  has  switched  the  whole 
family  history  beginning  with  himself  in  a  wrong  direc- 
tion forever.  How  fearful  the  consequences !  God 
save  that  man  now  by  helping  him  to  see  in  advance  the 
consequences  of  a  wrong  influence  through  his  life  in 
his  own  home. 

A  masterpiece  life  is  not  thinking  of  physical  achieve- 
ments. It  knows  these  things  shall  pass  away.  He  re- 
members what  the  old  seer  w^rote  for  an  old  baron  who 
gave  a  banquet  in  his  castle.  When  the  great  hall 
resounded  with  laughter  and  music,  he  asked  the  seer 
to  write  on  the  wall  some  sentiment  suitable  for  the 
occasion.  While  he  wrote  every  dancer  stayed  for  a 
moment,  and  strained  his  eyes  to  follow  the  hand  of  the 
writer.  And,  lo !  these  words  were  written.  "  This  too 
shall  pass  away !  " 

"  And  man's  physical  achievements  will  pass  away. 
Behold  the  merchant  whose  step  on  the  sidewalk  makes 
the  street  to  tremble.  The  draft  of  an  open  window 
is  sufficient  to  lay  the  merchant  low  in  death.  Soon  his 
money  is  divided,  disappearing  like  snowflakes  in  a 
river.  Younger  men  divide  his  business,  and  in  a  night 
his  name  is  expunged  from  the  tablet  and  another 
written  thereon.     The  great  banker  or  politician  builds 


66  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

up  an  institution  or  a  machine.  His  successor  arises 
and  obliterates  all  the  old  traditions,  and  his  name  is 
gone  forever." 

"  You  have  achieved  position.  Remember  that  place 
of  yours  is  already  spoken  for.  You  have  invented 
something  and  you  think  you  will  be  famous.  But  some 
new  iuTentor  will  do  better  with  your  idea  tomorrow, 
and  the  oil  lamp,  the  old  engine,  the  old  machine,  goes 
to  the  scrap  heap,  and  your  name  to  oblivion.  All  our 
physical  achievements  will  pass  away." 

But  there  are  things  that  last.  What  a  man  does 
with  his  hands  goes;  what  he  says  with  his  lips  lives; 
what  he  is  remains.  Let  me  urge  therefore  the  master- 
piece life  inJluence  that  leaves  the  right  contribution 
behind  it,  and  gives  you  a  name  among  the  immortals 
of  God. 

Again  notice,  the  magnificent  inspiration  a  life  ar  a 
masterpiece  has  upon  the  many  that  come  in  contact 
with  it.  What  stirrings  within  when  a  great  band 
throws  out  its  magnificent,  soul  stirring  music !  What 
mighty  swellings  of  patriotic  fervor  when  Dewey  came 
back  and  passed  in  review  in  ISTew  York  harbour !  What 
consecrations  to  the  Stars  and  Stripes  when  our  boys 
came  home  from  the  world  war !  What  great  ideals  leap 
into  the  mind  in  the  presence  of  some  masterpiece  of 
art! 

Meeting  in  Pisa  an  Italian  who  had  seen  Shelley 
on  the  day  before  he  was  drowned,  Robert  Browning 
exclaimed :  ^^  And  did  you  really  see  Shelley,  and  see 
him  plain  ?  And  what  words  did  he  say,  and  how  did 
he  look  ?  "    And  the  joy  of  that  interview  with  a  man 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  67 

who  had  seen  Shelley,  stirred  the  great  ^'  poet's  poet.'' 
Many  a  young  life  has  been  stirred  and  sot  forward 
mightily  by  reading,  seeing  or  hearing  feome  ^eat 
masterful  life. 

WTien  Wendell  Phillips  was  sixty,  one  Sunday  night 
he  was  crossing  Boston  Common.  He  felt  blue  and 
discouraged,  and  was  lost  in  thought.  Coming  upon  a 
man  who  stood  in  the  midst  of  a  little  company,  preach- 
ing some  reform,  he  stopped  a  moment  and  listened.  A 
little  girl  of  ten,  lingering  on  the  outskirts,  came  quickly 
up  and  asked  alms  of  him.  The  man  searched  her  face 
to  see  if  she  spoke  the  truth  or  not.  Taking  her  face 
in  his  hands,  and  holding  it  up  so  he  might  search  it;  he 
said ;  "  Little  girl,  are  you  telling  me  the  truth  ?  Is 
your  mother  really  sick  ?  "  ^^  Yes,  sir  !  "  came  the  quick 
reply.  Putting  his  hand  into  his  pocket  he  gave  her  a 
bill  and  said :  '^  God  bless  you,  little  girl,  you  and  your 
mother  have  a  right  to  live."  Then  he  passed  on  into 
the  night.  Bewildered  with  her  good  fortune,  the  child 
dashed  home,  and  bounding  up  the  stairs,  rushed  into 
her  mother's  room,  and  gave  her  the  bill.  Questioned, 
she  could  only  remember  one  thing:  ^^  He  had  a  silvery 
voice."  Then  the  widow  came  to  better  days.  Once 
more  the  child  was  in  school.  There  came  a  time  when 
she  graduated  from  the  Conservatory  of  Music.  At  last, 
oh,  wonder  of  wonders,  she  was  going  to  sing  in  a 
great  meeting  in  Tremont  Temple.  After  her  song 
was  over,  Wendell  Phillips  arose  to  speak.  Something 
in  his  words  caught  the  young  girl's  ear.  Not  for  twelve 
years  had  she  heard  that  voice,  but  she  was  sure  of  it. 
It  was  the  man  with  the  silvery  voice. 


68  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Going  up  to  him  after  his  lecture,  she  asked  him  if 
he  remembered  the  incident.  Thinking  hard  for  a 
moment  he  said :  "  Did  I  take  your  face  in  my  hands, 
and  holding  your  chin  ask :  ^  Little  girl,  are  you  telling 
me  the  truth  ? '  "  "  Yes,  sir !  that  is  what  you  asked  me. 
I  was  that  little  girl.''  '^  I  am  so  glad  if  I  was  able 
to  help  you,"   was  his  noble  reply. 

A  few  weeks  later  the  great  orator  was  dead.  And 
when  his  body  was  left  in  state  for  a  few  hours,  a  woman 
with  grey  hair  and  a  young  singer  stood  long,  looking 
into  that  quiet,  peaceful  face.  Tears  came  to  their  eyes, 
and  their  sobs  were  heard.  Then,  down  upon  the  glass 
a  young  girl  stooped  to  leave  a  sacred  kiss.  At  last 
the  seed  of  action  had  come  to  its  harvest.  The  isolated 
act  had  brought  forth  a  great  reward.  And  the  man 
who  lay  there  had  become  a  masterpiece. 

And  lastly,  a  life  as  a  masterpiece,  will  have  the 
"  Well  Done "  of  the  Father,  when  it  is  crowned  at 
the  end  of  life.  Every  life  must  face  the  Creator  and 
render  an  account  for  things  done  here  in  the  flesh. 
Everything  will  be  known ;  every  secret  manifest.  But 
the  masterpiece  life  can  say :  "  The  Lord  is  my  light 
and  my  salvation,  whom  shall  I  fear  ? " 

Here  is  a  court  room.  There  sits  the  judge  on  the 
bench  awaiting  the  beginning  of  court.  There  is  brought 
into  the  room  a  prisoner  who  has  committed  some  mis- 
demeanour against  the  laws  of  the  land.  He  knows  that 
there  are  witnesses  there  who  know  about  his  case  and 
who  are  to  testify  against  him.  There  is  terror  in  his 
heart ;  his  bravado  is  gone.  He  can  scarcely  look  up  to 
the  man  on  the  bench.     He  knows  that  he  is  to  be  his 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  69 

judge.  He  dreads  the  hour  of  sentence.  The  door  opens 
again,  and  a  young  boy  comes  in  with  a  smile  on  his 
face.  He  stops  at  the  bar  of  the  court  and  the  sheriff 
nods  his  head;  he  enters  the  inner  circle;  the  judge 
smiles  and  nods  to  him.  He  now  goes  upon  the  bench 
and  whispers  something  into  the  judge's  ear.  The 
judge  whispers  something  to  him,  and  then  catches 
and  kisses  him,  and  the  boy  with  a  radiant  smile  on  his 
face  comes  down  off  the  bench,  and  goes  out  of  the 
court  room.  There  was  no  fear  in  that  face ;  no  terror 
in  that  heart. 

The  two  persons  have  seen  that  judge  in  different 
lights.  One  saw  him  as  judge;  the  other  saw  him  as 
father.  Which  way  are  you  going  to  see  God?  It  is 
for  you  to  say.  God  does  not  say.  Your  life  will 
answer  the  question.  He  wants  to  see  you  as  Father. 
N'o  judge  likes  to  sentence  a  man;  he  prefers  to  save 
a  man  if  he  can. 

One  time  Abraham  Lincoln  acted  as  a  judge  for  a 
little  while,  and  a  murder  case  was  tried  before  him. 
The  man  was  found  guilty  by  the  jury  of  murder  in 
the  first  degree.  As  he  stood  up  to  receive  his  sentence 
from  the  court,  Abraham  Lincoln  asked  him  if  he  had 
anything  to  say  before  he  should  pronounce  sentence 
upon  him.  He  said :  ^'  Yes !  Abraham  Lincoln,  I  have 
something  to  say.  One  day  a  few  years  ago  you  were 
my  saviour.  My  horses  ran  away  and  you  ran  out 
and  saved  me  from  their  hoofs  when  I  was  too  drunk  to 
save  myself.  You  were  my  saviour  then ;  I  want  you  to 
be  my  saviour  now."  Tears  came  to  the  eyes  of  the 
great-hearted  man,    and  he  said :   "  I  remember  now 


70  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

about  that.  I  was  your  saviour  then,  and  I  would 
like  to  be  your  saviour  now,  but  I  cannot  be 
so  today.  The  law  of  the  court  will  not  allow  me  to  be 
so.  I  must  now  be  your  judge."  And  the  sentence 
of  death  was  passed  upon  him.  God  would  be  our 
Saviour,  but  He  may  not  be  able  to  be  so.  It  is  for  us 
to  say,  whether  we  shall  call  out  ^^  Father  "  with  joy 
and  "  Alleluias  "  unto  Him  who  "  hath  redeemed  us 
and  washed  us  in  His  own  precious  blood." 

"  Life  as  a  Masterpiece/'  then  will  go  forth  recog- 
nizing its  materials  and  tools;  using  its  Guide  and 
Teacher  constantly ;  involving  the  presence  of  the  Spirit, 
the  word  of  truth ;  evolving  purity,  goodness  and  ability 
of  life;  selecting  that  which  makes  iron  and  blood  of 
character,  eliminating  envyj  fretting,  anger  and  harsh- 
ness ;  going  forth  not  to  carp  and  complain,  but  to  share 
all  the  pulsations  of  life ;  criticising  the  things  that  are 
by  creating  the  things  that  ought  to  be;  putting  itself 
into  the  record  of  all  that  is  high  and  good;  carrying 
warm  hearts  for  the  weak,  strong  minds  for  the  op- 
pressed; being  an  inspiration  for  the  great  and  high 
of  life,  until  all  shall  feel  that  they  ought  to  have 
Life  as  a  Masterpiece  to  present  to  their  God. 

"  He  came  to  my  desk  with  a  trembling  lip, — 

The  lesson  was  done, — 
^  Dear  teacher,  I  want  a  new  leaf,'  he  said ; 

'  I  have  spoiled  this  one.' 
I  took  the  old  leaf,  soiled  and  blotted, 
And  gave  him  a  new  one  all  unspotted. 

And  into  his  sad  eyes  smiled, 

^  Do  better  now,  my  child.' 


LIFE  AS  A  MASTERPIECE  71 

"I  came  to  the  Throne  with  a  trembling  soul — 

The  old  year  was  done, — 
^  Dear  Father,  I  want  a  new  leaf/  I  said; 

'I  have  spoiled  this  one.' 
He  took  the  old  leaf,  stained  and  blotted, 
And  gave  me  a  new  one  all  unspotted 

And  into  my  sad  heart  smiled, 

'  Do  better  now,  my  child.' " 


ly 

THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE 

LOVE,  glorious,  divine  and  great!  Thou  art  a 
i  mystic!  Thou  art  so  deathless  that  no  man's 
mind  can  trace  thee!  Thou  art  so  high  that 
no  fancy  can  follow  thee!  Thou  art  so  broad  that  no 
philosophy  can  compass  thee!  Thou  art  so  deep  that 
no  definition  can  find  thee!  Thou  art  so  penetrating 
that  all  the  turns  and  crooks  of  life  shall  he  found 
of  thee  I  Thou  art  so  marvellous  as  to  he  Creator,  the 
mover  and  the  transformer  of  all  things  divine  and 
human  in  the  world !  We  bow  to  thee,  as  King  and 
Queen  of  all  and  in  all. 

"  Love  is  the  greatest  thing  in  the  world."  In  its 
presence  sunsets,  seas,  mountains,  starry  nights,  glori- 
ous mornings  are  but  as  shadows  and  dreams.  All  the 
music  of  nature  is  but  the  prelude  of  its  on-coming 
anthem.  All  the  splendid  scintillations  of  jewels  are 
but  the  shadows  of  its  magnificent  glory.  All  the  words 
of  men  are  but  the  preface  of  its  grand,  illuminating, 
life-giving  book. 

The  man  who  enters  the  sanctuary  of  love  and  opens 
the  door  of  his  heart  to  its  influences,  permitting  its 
messengers  of  affection  to  come  and  go,  has  found  the 
pearl  of  greatest  price,  the  grandest  teacher,  the  finest 

72 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  73 

inspirator,  the  ablest  physician,  and  the  truest  com- 
panion. 

Love  has  never  been  defined.  Paul  describes  it;  illus- 
trates it  in  his  wonderful  chapter  on  "  charity,"  but  he 
does  not  define  it.    It  is  the  reality  of  realities. 

^^  Love  is  the  one  great  truth ;  the  Eock 
On  which  all  else  that  is  may  rest; 

The  Substance  of  which  all  is  made ; 

The  life  stream  flooding  through  the  breast 

Of  all  created  things. 

^'  Love  fashioned  all.     Love  gave  the  sign 
At  which  worlds  sprang;  was  the  design 
And  the  designer  of  each  sea. 

Or  shore  or  shoal,  or  tarn  or  tree 
Or  rainbowed  insect's  wings. 

"  Love  is  eternal ;  Love  the  Eeal 

Which  cannot  change  though  all  else  pass. 

Before  its  power,  sin,  sorrow,  shame 
Depart  like  shadows  on  the  grass. 

And  prove  themselves  but  mists. 

"  Love  is  the  Life  in  which  man  lives, — 
The  great  Omnipotence  which  gives 
To  him  all  power.    It  is  his  breath; 

Wherefore  man  shall  conquer  death. 
Since  life  alone  exists." 

"  God  is  love,"  is  our  only  definition.  It  is  well 
that  this  is  so.  Love  will  do  all  it  can  for  its  object, 
and  in  this  definition  we  find  the  help,  the  care,  the 


74  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

strength  we  seek.  We  are  not  to  fail,  we  are  to  go 
on  and  up  to  victory;  love  will  have  it  so.  Love  en- 
riches whatever  it  touches,  and  makes  every  good  thing 
better  and  every  better  thing,  best. 

The  accent  of  our  teaching  should  be  love.  It  is  said 
that  two  friends  met  after  having  heard  Tannhauser  the 
night  before.  "  Did  you  like  it  ? "  asked  one  of  the 
other.  "  Y-e-s,"  was  the  reply.  "  And  neither  did 
I,"  said  the  other.  The  word  said  "  yes,"  but  the  ac- 
cent said  "  no."  The  true  accent  of  the  Gospel  is  love. 
]^o where  in  the  Bible  is  it  declared  that  God  is  justice, 
or  righteousness,  or  wisdom,  but  only  that  "  God  is  love." 
Love  is  not  one  of  His  attributes,  it  is  all  of  them.  The 
light  of  the  sun  is  white,  but  when  it  falls  upon  the 
prism,  it  is  broken  up  into  all  the  colours  of  the  rain- 
bow. The  light  which  streams  from  God,  is  love,  and 
all  His  moral  attributes  are  but  the  inflections  and  re- 
fractions of  His  love. 

Human  love  is  one  of  the  three  hungers  of  the  soul. 
The  other  two  are  food  and  God.  Some  have  added 
another,  the  hunger  for  offspring.  One  noted  writer 
says :  "  that  after  hunger  for  food,  which  is  based  upon 
the  instinct  of  the  preservation  of  the  individual,  the 
desire  for  children,  based  upon  the  instinct  of  the  preser- 
vation of  the  species,  is  the  greatest  that  governs  life." 

Too  many  writers  today  trace  love  to  the  primitive 
animal  instincts,  and  make  it  the  expectation  of  sensual 
pleasure.  Sensual  love  is  the  only  love  that  the  greater 
part  of  humanity  knows.  This  love  has  no  depth  or 
duration.  This  is  immature  love  and  comes  from 
immature  attraction,  and  is  known  as  "  puppy  love," 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  75 

which  soon  fails  its  object.  Animal  passion  obtrudes 
upon  the  young,  and  the  desires  of  the  flesh  are  con- 
sidered to  be  love.  Trashy  novels  and  many  picture 
shows  are  doing  great  mischief  today  in  that  they  teach 
that  one  should  obey  the  impulse  of  love  and  disregard 
all  laws  and  codes  and  religion.  All  this  makes  only 
for  a  sentimental  love  that  has  lust  back  of  it. 

Genuine  love  lies  in  the  sacrifice  of  one's  happiness 
for  another's  sake,  and  is  characterized  by  patience, 
kindness,  generosity,  sincerity  and  self-sacrifice.  True 
love  seeks  its  own  happiness  in  the  felicity  of  the  other, 
and  is  rational,  deep  and  enduring  and  never  fails  in 
its  ethical  sense  of  duty. 

The  best  men  and  women  are  as  delicate  as  a  mechan- 
ism; as  highly  strung  as  a  harp,  and  the  harmony  of 
their  lives  is  determined  by  the  master  hand  of  love 
which  strikes  their  heart  strings;  and  the  human  being 
that  is  a  mere  "  piece  of  meat "  is  in  no  condition  to 
make  happy  or  understand  real  love. 

The  impulse  of  love  then  is  the  search  after  an  in- 
carnation of  the  inward  ideal  and  falling  in  love,  is  the 
instinctive  conviction  that  the  ideal  has  been  found. 

One  looking  simply  for  the  physical  beauty  of  an- 
other, has  a  sensual  ideal.  This  is  too  apt  to  be  the 
search  of  youth.  But  it  fails  to  bring  the  love  that  is 
ethical  and  enduring.  A  man  may  get  along  with  the 
sensual  side  of  his  nature,  but  a  woman  cannot  long 
do  this.  She  is  able  to  do  nothing  gTeater  than  to  love. 
To  her  to  live,  is  to  love.  She  becomes  aware  that  purely 
sensual  love  will  not  last.  She  should,  therefore,  be  look- 
ing for  qualities  of  love  that  will  outlive  the  freshness 


76  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

of  physical  charms.  Love  to  a  woman  is  an  exalted 
and  noble  thing;  she  stakes  her  life  upon  it,  therefore 
she  must  be  taught  early  to  seek  the  man  who  has 
nobility  of  mind,  fineness  of  heart,  a  chivalrous  spirit, 
and  a  courage  of  devotion  to  all  her  best  interests. 

Bad  women  try  to  keep  man's  animal  passions  alive. 
This  is  their  hold.  Good  women  seek  to  develop  the 
chaste  and  refined,  the  love  that  is  divine  and  goes 
beyond  the  physical.  With  this  contrast,  we  now  pro- 
ceed to  look  at  love  from  its  higher  standard. 

Love  never  had  a  beginning.  God  is  love,  and  God 
has  always  been.  Therefore  love  never  has  had  a  be- 
ginning. "  I  have  thee  loved  with  an  everlasting  love," 
is  a  wonderful  statement  of  fact.  The  ancestry  of  love 
is:  ^^  In  the  beginning  God."  Dig  into  the  bygone 
ages  forever,  and  there  Love  sits  supreme  in  her  reign 
as  the  queen  of  all  realities.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
love  has  the  impetuosity  of  a  flooded  river,  the  life- 
giving  qualities  of  the  sun,  the  subtle  touch  of  electric 
currents,  the  strength  of  gravitation,  and  the  beauty 
of  a  perfect,  never-ending  day !  Love  has  lighted  the 
altars  of  our  hearts  forever,  and  has  kept  burning  the 
holy  incense  of  devotion  for  all  time. 

And  love  is  never  to  end.  The  song  of  love  is  "  for- 
ever and  ever."  The  one  thing  in  me  that  lives  is  love. 
It  gives  me  faith  and  hope  for  all  time,  and  links  me 
with  the  eternal  God  and  all  the  loves  of  the  past  and 
present.  I  have  embarked  on  the  river  of  love  that 
never  had  a  beginning  and  it  carries  me  on  into  the 
great  ocean  of  never-ending  love,  and  binds  me  to  all 
that  is  dear  and  glorious  in  life. 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  77 

Your  pedigree  is  love!  ]^o  one  has  more  royal  re- 
lations, more  kingly  connections,  more  standing  in  the 
past  than  you.  Your  coat  of  arms  is  back  to  the  King 
of  kings,  to  the  immensity  of  God,  to  the  fellowship  of 
all  might,  and  glory  and  wealth  and  love. 

"  Love  is  the  greatest  thing  in  the  world !  "  'No  one 
disputes  the  statement.  The  greatness  of  love  never  sees 
the  faults,  and  whenever  it  discovers  them,  throws  over 
them  the  mantle  of  charity.  Love  does  not  censure. 
Where  others  see  the  wrong,  love  sees  some  good.  All 
hearts  agree  with  Paul  Laurence  Dunbar  when  he  says : 

"  Because  you  loved  me,  I  have  much  achieved ; 
Had  you  despised  me,  then  I  must  have  failed ; 
But  knowing  that  you  trusted  and  believed, 
I  dare  not  disappoint,  and  so  prevailed." 

There  is  a  story  called  "  Laddie,''  that  tells  of  a 
Scotch  mother  whose  son  in  early  manhood  had  been 
allowed  to  go  to  London  to  be  brought  up  by  an  old 
physician  friend  who  educated  him  in  his  profession. 
About  the  time  the  son  graduated,  his  father  died  and 
the  young  doctor  was  unable  to  go  home.  A  few  months 
later  the  mother,  hungry  for  love  determined  to  go 
and  live  with  her  son  who  now  had  settled  down  to  his 
profession.  She  surprised  him  and  while  glad  to  see 
her,  shadows  played  over  his  face  at  the  thought  of  the 
little  old-fashioned  mother  settled  over  his  home.  What 
would  the  aristocratic  people  think  of  her  ?  What  would 
his  sweetheart  Violet  say,  to  her  old-fashioned  ways  ? 

Keeping  her  true  identity  from  his  servants  he  de- 


78  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

termined  to  settle  her  in  the  suburbs  of  the  great  city 
where  he  might  see  her  often.  That  night  he  sug- 
gested to  her  that  the  traffic  and  bustle  of  the  city  would 
be  too  noisy  for  her,  and  it  would  be  better  for  her  to 
live  just  outside  of  the  city,  where  he  could  run  out 
and  visit  her.  A  shadow  came  over  her  face.  Quickly 
concealing  it  however,  after  awhile  she  retired  saying 
that  they  would  talk  the  matter  over  again  in  the 
morning. 

The  doctor  tried  to  sleep  but  could  not.  He  rolled 
and  tossed  until  he  heard  his  door  open  and  he  called 
out:  "Mother,  what  is  it?''  And  she  said,  "Laddie, 
may  I  come  in  and  tuck  you  in  just  as  I  used  to  do 
when  you  was  a  boy  ?  "  "  Yes,  mother,"  he  replied. 
Tucking  him  in,  she  stooped  over  and  kissed  him  and 
then  retired.  That  kiss  burned  into  his  soul  and  he 
resolved  that  he  would  keep  his  mother  no  matter  what 
happened.    After  making  this  decision,  he  fell  asleep. 

He  slept  longer  than  usual  in  the  morning.  As  soon 
as  he  was  dressed  he  went  to  his  mothers  room,  but  she 
was  gone ;  the  place  was  empty.  A  little  note  told  him 
that  she  did  not  want  to  stand  in  his  way,  and  she  was 
sure  that  she  could  find  a  way  to  care  for  herself.  He 
tried  to  find  her  but  could  not;  she  had  slipped  out  of 
sight.  He  told  Violet  and  she  searched  with  him,  but 
to  no  avail.  Months  afterward,  when  the  doctor  had 
visited  a  patient  in  the  hospital,  and  was  going  out 
through  the  accident  ward,  he  saw  a  screen  around  a  cot 
and  he  said  to  the  nurse:  "  Some  one  near  death,  I  see." 
"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  an  old  woman  was  run  over  by 
an  omnibus  and  she  talks  in  her  delirium  about  her  old 


'     THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  79 

home  and  now  and  then  she  calls  for  Laddie."  Instantly 
the  doctor  was  around  the  screen  to  the  cot,  and  there 
lay  his  old  mother.  With  a  cry  of  "  Mother,"  that 
would  almost  have  called  one  back  from  the  dead  he 
threw  himself  by  her  side.  She  opened  her  eyes  and 
wearily  stroked  his  head  and  said:  ''It  has  been  a 
long  way  since  I  left  you.  Laddie."  Violet  came  and 
the  two  stood  by  her  cot  as  her  life  went  out  with  the 
going  down  of  the  sun.  And  she  gave  them  her  parting 
blessing  and  the  doctor  discovered  a  mother's  love  that 
did  not  want  to  stand  in  the  way  of  her  son's  success. 

If  we  love  much,  we  are  much,  whether  we  have 
gold  or  bonds.  Men  look  at  our  financial  standing  but 
God  looks  at  the  heart.  '^  The  man  who  has  no  money 
is  poor,  but  the  man  who  has  nothing  but  money  is 
poorer  still."  To  have  the  greatness  of  love  is  to  be  a 
millionaire. 

The  greatness  of  divine  love  is  seen  in  its  ethical  and 
spiritual  energy.  All  the  forces  of  the  earth  are  to  it 
as  the  breath  of  babes  to  the  power  that  swings  the 
stars.  For  all  time  it  has  wrought  with  no  decrease 
of  strength.  ''It  is  turning  and  overturning  to  build 
a  highway  for  the  feet  of  God,  and  hastening  to  freshen 
the  face  of  the  world  with  the  dawn  of  an  endless  day. 
It  has  taken  Magdalenes  out  of  the  slime  and  made 
them  the  white-souled  saints  of  heaven.  It  has  taken 
cowards  and  liars  and  made  them  the  invulnerable 
champions  of  truth.  It  has  taken  huge  class  wrongs 
hoary  with  the  age  of  centuries  and  beaten  them  to  dust 
and  burned  them  in  the  fires  of  a  new  created  public 
scorn.    And  it  is  still  at  work  redeeming  and  re-creating 


80  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

the  world.    Whatsoever  may  he  the  needs  of  man  it  will 
meet  the  necessities  of  his  case." 

"  A  few  years  ago  when  in  New  England  I  stood  at 
the  inlet  of  the  sea ;  the  cold  night,  with  frost  fingers, 
had  covered  the  little  bay  with  a  coating  of  ice.  Run- 
ning out,  the  tides  had  left  the  ice  behind.  The  carts 
from  the  city  had  come  down,  with  their  sweepings  of 
the  streets,  their  dust  and  ashes  and  coal  cinders  and 
broken  boxes,  and  tin  cans,  and  old  barrels,  and  made 
the  shore  hideous.  What  power  could  cleanse  that 
filth  away  ?  Yonder  in  the  sky  hangs  an  orb,  that  loves 
sweetness  and  works  toward  beauty.  Silently  it  sends 
forth  its  whisper,  quickly  the  waves  hear  the  secret  call, 
and  the  waters,  obedient,  spring  forward  like  well- 
trained  steeds.  Fulfilling  their  task,  the  tides  came 
in  to  cleanse  the  bay.  They  knew  well  their  work,  these 
cleansing  waters.  They  lifted  the  ice,  tore  it  from  its 
place,  ground  it  to  dust,  tossed  its  cakes  like  driftwood, 
swept  all  the  scavenger's  filth  from  the  shore,  and  re- 
treating, carried  all  out  to  sea,  to  bathe  the  cakes  of  ice 
in  the  far-off  tropic  stream." 

"  Even  so  the  love  of  God  flows  in  upon  the  genera- 
tions of  men,  and  that  love,  coming  in  like  the  tides, 
brings  cleansing  and  recovery.  What?  You  dis- 
couraged? And  over  economic  wrongs,  social  abuses, 
commercial  iniquities  ?  God's  loving  thoughts,  and  His 
purposes  of  righteousness,  will  grind  to  powder  every 
iniquitous  custom,  every  unholy  law,  scatter  all  wicked 
wealth,  as  the  tides  grind  the  sea  in  the  harbours,  as  the 
tropic  waves  consume  the  icebergs  of  the  north." 

Love  has  patience.     "  Do  people  love  you  when  you 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  81 

do  wrong  ? ''  some  one  asked  a  little  girl.  ^'  'No !  but 
mother  does/'  was  her  answer.  True  love  has  the  great 
masterful  holding  power  of  patience.  Do  you  say :  "  I 
love  him,"  and  yet  have  not  patience !  Then  your  love 
is  lacking  one  great  quality  of  its  saving,  helping 
power.  Do  you  say :  ''  I  love  her/'  and  yet,  storm  and 
fret  over  her  weaknesses  and  lack  of  attention  to  home 
cares !  Then  you  too,  must  know  that  you  have  not 
been  touched  with  the  divineness  of  love  that  bears 
and  keeps  silent  until  the  storm  of  words  and  manner 
have  passed.  True  love  ^^  beareth  all  things,  endureth 
all  things."  Here  is  the  standard  of  patience,  for  our 
love. 

The  patience  of  divine  love  is  summed  up  by  the 
Master  when,  He  says :  "  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not 
break  and  a  smoking  flax  shall  he  not  quench."  Let 
us  get  the  picture  of  these  words.  There  by  the  side 
of  the  river  Jordan  is  a  reed  that  some  prowling  animal 
has  stepped  upon  as  he  came  down  in  the  night  from 
the  hills  to  get  a  drink.  It  is  hanging  by  just  a  thread. 
A  fitful  wind  will  break  off  the  last  tie  of  life.  And 
there  is  a  wick  with  just  a  stenching  coal  left  on  it. 
Touch  it,  and  its  last  spark  will  go. 

How  many  broken  reeds  and  smouldering  wicks  of 
human  life  there  are !  What  is  to  be  done  with  them  ? 
The  argument  of  science  is  "  the  survival  of  the  fittest." 
Human  beings  must  fight  it  out,  and  only  the  fit  can 
live.  Society  has  no  place  for  its  prodigals.  The  world 
is  hard  and  smiting  in  its  judgments;  swift  as  lightning 
in  its  censure.  You  cannot  force  a  broken  reed  back  to 
its  place ;  you  cannot  blow  a  smoking  wick  into  a  flame. 


82  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

There  must  be  divine  patience  working;  there  must 
be  a  patient  love  coming  in,  else  all  is  lost. 

The  patience  of  God's  love  is  seen  in  Jesus  Christ. 
He  comes  in  gentleness.  He  says :  ^^  I  will  not  break 
you,  I  will  not  put  out  the  last  spark  of  your  life." 
Strength  is  often  pitiless.  God  help  us  never  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  strong  men  who  misjudge  us,  who 
are  cruel,  who  are  unjust.  But  the  man  who  talks  about 
the  broken  reed  and  the  smoking  flax,  as  Jesus  did,  will 
never  give  us  up. 

Jesus,  then,  "  watches  not  like  a  heartless  overseer, 
with  whip  in  hand  to  smite  if  I  mis-step  or  grow  weary 
with  my  work.  But  His  observations  are  like  a  gardener 
who  sees  the  bud  of  promise  in  me,  and  who  gives  me 
the  dews  of  grace  and  the  sunshine  of  warming  love  to 
bring  me  to  grand  fruitage  in  life." 

There  are  many  things  that  tend  to  keep  us  from 
God,  but  nothing  hinders  so  much  as  wrong  views  of 
God.  There  is  the  man  who  has  lived  the  life  of  a 
prodigal.  He  is  a  magnificent  wreck.  He  stands  like 
some  great  trees  that  I  have  seen,  blasted  and  charred  by 
the  awful  fires  that  have  swept  over  them.  But  Christ's 
love  saves  such. 

There  is  a  girl  whose  virtue  lies  like  a  soiled  and 
trampled  flower.  She  hears  the  message  of  love  and 
asks  wonderingly :  "  How  can  I  go  to  whiteness  ?  " 
Well,  is  there  a  stagnant  pool  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
so  reeking  with  slime,  that  the  sun  scorns  to  shine 
upon  it  ?  Rossetti  wrote  a  sonnet  on  "  The  Woman 
Who  Was  a  Sinner ;  "  who  came  to  the  door  of  Simon 
the   Pharisee.     Have   you   seen  the   picture   Rossetti 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  83 

painted  here?  A  woman  passing  through  the  street 
in  all  the  untroubled  and  false  gaiety  of  the  beautiful 
courtesan;  looks  and  suddenly  sees  the  face  of  Christ; 
her  life  is  scorched  into  blackness  and  awfulness,  her 
soul  cries  out  within  her  in  agony  and  in  the  words 
of  the  poem: 

"  0,  loose  me,  seest  thou  not  my  Bridegroom's  face 
That  draws  me  to  him  ?    For  his  feet,  my  kiss, 
My  hair,  my  tears  he  craves  today — and  oh! 
What  words  can  tell  what  other  day  and  place 
Shall  see  me  clasp  those  blood-stained  feet  of  his? 
He  needs  me — calls  me — loves  me — let  me  go  !  " 

She  had  seen  the  Christ,  and  that  moment  she  wanted 
to  be  cleansed.  And  if  one  goes  out  to  meet  the  Christ, 
a  spark  is  enough  for  his  patient  love  to  work  upon. 

''  There  is  life  for  a  look  at  the  Crucified  One, 
There  is  life  at  this  moment  for  thee." 

Together  with  Him  we  may  climb  the  way  to  peace 
and  victory;  to  hope  and  life;  to  health  and  power. 

Love  has  real  strength.  We  sometimes  measure  a 
man  by  his  physical  prowess;  his  lifting  power.  This 
is  not  the  highest  test  of  strength.  There  is  an  en- 
durance that  comes  from  love,  combined  with  strength 
of  heart,  that  shows  that  "  might  is  not  always  right," 
but  that  right  is  always  might.  True  love  is  strong 
enough  to  meet  any  test.  It  does  not  change  with 
climate  or  circumstances.  It  is  the  same  day  and 
night,  summer  and  winter,  cold  and  heat,  poverty  or 
wealth.     It  is  strong  to  endure;  to  die  for  its  object. 


84  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

To  have  strong,  virile  human  love,  is  to  obtain  a  com- 
panion of  inspiration  and  a  yoke  fellow  that  pulls  the 
load  of  life  to  the  goal  of  success. 

Note  the  strength  of  love  as  portrayed  in  the  life 
of  Jesus  and  John.  A  fisherman  is  never  weak;  he  is 
never  feminine.  But  John,  "  snuggled  ''  up  to  Christ. 
He  laid  his  head  upon  his  bosom.  He  found  a  great 
soul  confidant  in  the  Master. 

One  of  the  elements  of  a  soul  confidant  is  strength. 
"  You  cannot  snuggle  up  very  successfully  to  a  reed, 
or  a  cotton  string,  or  a  mollycoddle."  John  had  to  have 
a  strong  confidant,  for  he  was  a  strong  man  himself. 
He  was  called  Boanerges — Son  of  Thunder.  That  does 
not  sound  weak,  does  it?  Such  a  man  must  have  a 
great,  strong  love  to  link  up  to  in  his  life.  He  found  it 
in  Christ. 

Another  element  of  strong  love  is  great  sympathy. 
No  man  chooses  a  cynic  for  a  confidant.  Only  he  who 
can  cross  the  boundary  of  our  being  with  an  unselfish 
love  can  have  our  confidence. 

And  then  there  is  the  element  of  safety  in  strong  love. 
Weak  love  will  fail  us,  in  the  hour  of  testing.  "  Bab- 
bling brooks  "  are  picturesque  and  musical  in  wood- 
land and  meadow  poetry,  but  in  the  field  of  friendship 
no  ^^  babbler  "  need  apply. 

We  must  lay  our  heads  somewhere  when  it  aches  with 
the  roar  of  care  and  anxiety.  Whether  the  trouble  be 
financial,  domestic,  or  personal,  you  can  find  help  only 
in  strong  love.  Of  such  love  it  can  be  said :  ^'  He  shall 
cover  thee  with  his  feathers  and  under  his  wings  shalt 
thou  trust.'' 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  85 

Love  is  tender!  A  head  without  love  is  a  stick  of 
dynamite  that  may  go  off  at  any  moment.  A  life  with- 
out love  is  an  iceberg  in  the  way  of  the  traffic  of  the 
seas,  a  menace  to  passing  ships  in  the  night.  Mother 
love  is  another  sun  that  rivals  Old  Sol  in  the  multiplied 
beauties  with  which  it  enriches  the  home.  Father  love 
is  a  sunrise  of  good  cheer  and  energizes  all  about  it. 
Conjugal  love  glows  with  happiness  and  sings  with  true 
sympathy  and  harmony  in  the  home.  Children's  love, 
while  immature  and  rash,  should  be  ardent  in  its  af- 
fection for  parents  and  thoughtful  of  the  many  cares 
of  the  household. 

Perhaps  no  aspect  of  love  is  so  needed  as  tenderness. 
Such  love  "  beareth  all  things,  hopeth  all  things,  en- 
dureth  all  things."  If  happiness  is  to  be  in  the  home, 
let  love  constantly  increase  its  endearing  phrases  and 
grow  with  the  years  in  the  ardency  of  its  declarations ! 

What  an  illustration  of  the  tenderness  of  Christ  we 
have  in  his  relationship  with  Peter.  While  Peter  denied 
Jesus,  He  was  most  tender  in  His  bearing  to  the  way- 
ward disciple.  When  the  cock  crew,  Peter  understood 
and  Jesus  who  might  have  spoken  and  rebuked  the 
recreant  disciple,  only  gave  a  look  of  tenderness  which 
went  to  the  disciple's  heart  with  anguish.  And  when 
the  Master  arose  from  the  dead  and  Mary  came  to  the 
disciples,  her  message  had  an  exultant  cry :  "  The 
Master  has  arisen,  and  He  told  me  to  go  and  tell  His 
disciples  and  Peter."  Special  message  to  him.  He 
needed  it.  John  and  Peter  ran  to  the  sepulchre,  and 
John  arrived  first,  but  dared  not  go  in.  K'ot  so,  Peter ; 
he  rushed  in.    He  wanted  to  be  forgiven;  he  wanted  to 


86  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

meet  the  Christ,  as  no  one  else.  But  Jesus  was  not 
there ;  He  had  arisen  and  gone  forth. 

Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  nowhere  in  the 
Word  of  God  can  you  find  about  that  first  meeting  of 
Jesus  and  Peter  after  the  resurrection;  not  a  word 
about  the  confession  of  weakness,  the  awful  sin  of 
denial  and  following  afar  off?  Why  not?  Because  it 
was  too  tender  a  matter  to  be  put  into  print. 

When  President  Garfield  was  shot  and  he  was  taken 
to  the  White  House,  they  sent  for  his  wife.  She  came 
on  a  special  train,  having  the  right  of  way.  When  she 
arrived  in  Washington,  she  was  hurried  to  the  Execu- 
tive Mansion.  When  she  came  in  sight  they  all  left  the 
room  where  the  wounded  husband  lay — doctors,  nurses, 
cabinet  officers,  all  left  the  room,  and  she  went  in  and 
no  one  saw  the  greeting  between  the  dying  man  and 
his  wife;  no  one  heard  the  words  that  passed  between 
the  two.  And  there,  for  fifteen  minutes  they  were  all 
alone.  'No  newspaper  reporter  dared  to  picture  in  his 
imagination  on  paper  what  passed  between  the  President 
and  his  wife.  Why  not  ?  Because  it  was  too  tender  a 
thing  to  try  and  picture  or  express. 

Here,  then,  is  a  picture  of  the  tenderness  of  love.  If 
Matthew  is  our  guide,  he  says  of  it,  "  The  very  hairs 
of  your  head  are  numbered  '' ;  if  Mark  is  our  guide,  he 
says  of  this  love,  "  And  Jesus,  when  He  came  out,  saw 
much  people,  and  was  moved  with  compassion  toward 
them  " ;  if  Luke  guides  us,  he  gives  us  a  picture  of  the 
father  forgiving  the  wayward  son  and  putting  a  robe  on 
him,  while  Paul  says,  ^'  J^othing  shall  be  able  to  separate 
us  from  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus."     And  the 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  87 

Master  says,  ^' Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled;  ye  be- 
lieve in  God,  believe  also  in  Me."  Truly  we  can  sing, 
"  Thou,  O  Christ,  art  all  I  want,  More  than  all  in  Thee 
I  find." 

True  love  is  immutable;  it  holds  in  the  stress  and 
storm  of  life.  In  England,  there  is  a  form  of  a  crusader 
and  his  fair  lady  over  their  burial  place.  The  stalwart 
knight  is  clad  in  full  armour,  while  his  lady  is  perfect, 
except  a  hand  is  missing. 

The  curious  traveller  is  told  that  during  the  Crusades 
a  knight  was  captured  by  Saladin,  the  Moslem  leader. 
When  asked  to  give  a  reason  why  he  should  not  be 
put  to  death,  the  knight  replied  that  he  had  back  in 
England  a  lady  royal  who  loved  him  with  supreme 
affection,  and  if  he  were  killed  her  heart  would  break. 
Saladin  in  scorn  laughed  at  the  man's  statement  and 
said :  "  She  will  soon  forget  her  grief,  and  will  soon 
be  married  to  another."  "  Not  so,"  said  the  knight, 
"  she  would  give  her  right  hand  for  me."  "  Ah !  we 
shall  see,"  said  Saladin.  "  I  promise  thy  life  if  the 
lady  send  to  me  her  beautiful  hand."  This  grim  mes- 
sage was  sent  to  the  lady,  whereupon  she  had  her  right 
hand  cut  off  and  sent  to  Saladin.  "  Ah !  "  said  he,  in 
surprise,  "  now  I  know  that  thou  hast  told  me  the  truth. 
Now  I  know  the  heart  of  one  true  and  loyal  woman. 
Thou  shalt  not  die.     Thou  art  free !  " 

Here  was  a  love  that  did  not  change  with  the  cir- 
cumstances of  life,  but  proved  its  immutability.  But 
human  love  often  changes !  A  little  financial  trouble 
will  break  up  the  children  of  a  family!  A  little  mis- 
understanding will  send  friends  in  opposite  directions 


88  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

of  thought  and  purpose.  Bosom  friends  of  schooldays 
and  college,  forget  after  awhile,  and  the  years  bring 
mighty  changes  in  human  love.  Anger  stirs  up  a  dif- 
ferent route  in  many  a  person's  heart.  "  And  yet,  you 
have  no  more  right  to  stay  mad  twenty-four  hours  than 
you  have  to  set  fire  to  your  neighbour's  house  or  throw 
cayenne  pepper  into  his  eyes."  If  true  love  was  there 
it  would  not  change. 

God's  love  never  changes.  It  is  ours  now  and  forever. 
It  is  ours  as  much  as  the  sun,  the  light,  the  water,  the 
earth.  Calvary  was  a  great  heart-pant  of  God  after  the 
human  race,  and  Christ  is  the  manifestation  of  that 
love,  and  of  Him  it  is  said :  "  He  is  the  same  yesterday, 
today  and  forever." 

"  Over  the  mountains, 

And  over  the  waves. 
Under  the  fountains, 

And  under  the  caves; 
Through  floods  that  are  deepest. 
O'er  rocks  that  are  steepest. 

Love  will  find  out  the  way." 

Yes!  It  is  true: 

"  Though  I  forget  Him  and  wander  away, 
Kindly  He  follows  wherever  I  stray. 

Back  to  His  dear  loving  arms  would  I  flee. 
When  I  remember  that  Jesus  loves  me." 

True  love  cannot  be  valued.  We  cannot  estimate  the 
value  of  anything  until  it  is  really  gone.     Who  knows 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  89 

the  value  of  eyesight  until  it  is  gone!  The  value  of 
health,  until  it  is  gone !  The  value  of  loved  ones,  until 
they  are  gone! 

I  had  a  most  remarkable  mother.  Her  love  for  her 
children  is  a  great  remembrance  to  them.  But  when 
I  "went  back  home  and  found  it  empty  of  her  presence, 
then  I  knew  what  made  the  home.  At  the  mound  in 
the  cemetery,  I  cried :  "  I  know  now,  mother,  the  value 
of  your  love ;  it  is  gone ! '' 

We  must  not  spurn  love!  There  is  nothing  so  dead 
as  a  dead  love.  Many  a  man  and  woman  wake  up  too 
late  to  a  love  that  is  dead.  Rarely  is  there  a  resur- 
rection of  love.  Cherish  it,  and  it  will  become  the  great 
power  and  sunshine  of  the  home. 

God's  love  can  never  die.  We  should  thank  God  for 
this  great  fact.  It  may  be  unrealizable  sometime,  as 
Judas  would  seem  to  indicate.  We  are  also  told  there 
will  come  a  time  in  the  life  of  some  when  they  will  call 
upon  the  mountains  and  rocks  to  hide  them  from  the 
face  of  God.  Why  ?  Because  they  have  trampled  upon 
His  love,  spurned  it  again  and  again.  Then  it  will  be 
valued  but  not  possessed.  To  pass  the  door  of  love 
means  death.  ^'  For  iis  to  love  not,  means  that  Christ 
cannot  reign  in  our  lives."  Heaven  is  to  be  heaven, 
because  there  is  nothing  there  but  love.  Hell  is  to  be 
hell,  because  it  will  not  love. 

Love  is  the  inspiration  of  all  life  and  achievement. 
It  was  Love  that  called  us  into  being.  It  was  Love  that 
pushed  on  to  do  and  be.  Love  as  inspiration  is  the 
mother  of  art;  the  quickener  of  poetry;  the  composer 
of  music.    Love  is  the  magician  who  waves  his  wonder- 


90  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

ful  wand  over  our  thoughts  and  plans,  making  us  awake 
to  the  passion  of  sacred  movements  that  advance  the 
world  of  humanity  toward  God  and  heaven. 

Back  of  every  worker  of  merit  in  the  world's  history 
there  has  been  love  acting  as  the  inspirer  of  the  race 
that  has  brought  the  goal  of  fame  and  power.  Even 
illicit  love  has  its  power  and  quickening  in  man  and 
woman.  Take  the  inspiration  of  love  out  of  the  world 
and  we  would  make  the  world  poor  and  sordid. 

Love  is  sacrificial.  It  gives  to  the  death ;  it  does  not 
hesitate.  How  grandly  has  W.  H.  H.  Murray  brought 
that  out  in  ''  The  Man  That  Didn't  Know  Much."  It 
is  the  final  chapter  of  the  book.  It  was  a  stormy  night 
and  "  The  Man  Who  Didn't  Know  Much,"  and  the  old 
trapper,  John  ITorton  and  Herbert,  were  on  their  way 
from  New  York  to  Boston  on  a  Sound  steamer  to  spend 
the  holidays  with  the  latter.  The  lad,  as  The  Man  Who 
Didn't  Know  Much  was  sometimes  called,  was  calmed 
and  quiet  while  many  of  the  passengers  were  uneasy  at 
the  gathering  storm.  Herbert  discovered  that  the  lad 
seemed  to  know  about  where  they  were  and  learned  that 
he  had  formerly  lived  on  the  Connecticut  Coast.  All  at 
once  there  came  a  cry  of  '^  Fire !  "  ISTo  one  knew  where 
the  cry  came  from,  but  it  was  the  voice  of  a  woman,  full 
of  terror.  As  the  cry  was  repeated,  men  turned  from 
their  berths  and  rushed  out  into  the  corridors.  The 
uproar  and  confusion  became  terrible. 

The  forward  hold  of  the  vessel  was  on  fire,  so  the 
captain  said,  and  assured  the  people  that  he  would 
beach  the  boat  to  save  the  people  from  the  combustible 
material  in  the  hold  of  the  ship.     No  small  boats  could 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  91 

live  in  such  a  tempest,  and  no  member  of  the  crew 
would  take  the  responsibility  of  running  the  steamer 
with  six  hundred  passengers  on  board  to  a  coast  that 
was  rough  and  of  which  they  had  no  knowledge.  The 
captain  in  despair  finally  shouted  out :  "  Is  there  a  man 
here  who  knows  this  coast  ?  " 

For  a  moment  no  one  spoke,  then  the  lad  rose  out  of 
the  shadow  and  said:  '^  Yes,  sir,  I  know  this  coast." 
"  Who  are  you  ?  "  said  the  captain.  "  I  was  bom 
within  ten  miles  of  where  we  are  at  the  present  time, 
and  I  know  every  rock  and  reef  and  point,  for  I  have 
fished  on  them  all,"  was  the  reply  of  the  lad. 

The  captain  looked  incredulous,  but  the  old  trapper 
came  forward  and  said :  "  Cap'  whatever  the  lad  say, 
ye  can  sartinly  take  for  gospel  truth.  And  ef  he  says 
he  was  born  here,  he  was  born  here;  and  ef  he  says  he 
knows  this  shore,  he  knows  it;  and  ye  can  rely  on  him 
to  do  what  he  say  he  can  do ;  for  his  words  be  truth,  and 
his  acts  be  like  his  words." 

The  captain  said  to  the  old  trapper :  "  Old  man,  this 
boy  is  your  companion  and  you  love  him  ?  "  '^  Yis,  the 
lad  and  me  have  slept  together,  and  we've  eaten  from 
the  same  bark,  and  he  and  me  have  done  leetle  sarvices 
for  each  other  that  men  in  the  woods  don't  forgit.  I 
love  that  lad."  ^^  Ought  the  boy  to  stay  and  go  to 
death?"  '^  Sartin,  sartin,"  said  the  trapper;  "  ef  the 
lad  can  save  the  wimmin  folks  and  the  leetle  'uns,  say 
nothing  of  the  rest,  he  ought  to  stay,  even  ef  he  starts 
on  his  last  trail  from  the  deck  of  a  ship  instead  of 
from  the  shadder  of  the  pine;  for  death  never  comes 
too  quick  to  one  who  meets  it  at  the  post  of  duty,  and 


92  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

it  never  comes  slow  enough  to  one  who  shirks.  Yis, 
let  the  lad  stay  where  he  be  at  the  wheel,  and  an  old 
man  who  has  faced  death  on  many  a  field  where  bullits 
was  thick  will  stand  by  his  side,  and  the  Lord  of  Mercy 
shall  do  with  us  as  He  will." 

As  the  fire  grew  hot  and  stifling,  Herbert  seized  the 
hose  and  poured  water  on  the  lad  and  the  old  trapper. 
It  was  a  furnace  of  fire  that  was  around  them,  but  in  the 
midst  of  it  all  the  lad  stood  giving  his  orders,  and 
finally  his  voice  was  heard  saying :  "  Tell  'em  I  hear  the 
surf  on  the  beach." 

The  garments  of  the  lad  were  on  fire,  and  the  boat 
struck  the  beach,  and  as  the  flat  bottom  of  the  vessel 
struck  the  sand,  the  three  friends  went  down  together. 

It  was  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after  the  catas- 
trophe. Most  of  the  passengers  were  saved.  All  had 
gone  away  except  a  few.  Some  stayed  to  see  the  lad 
fight  for  his  life.  He  was  terribly  burned.  All  that 
skill  could  do  was  done  for  him.  But  skill  could  not 
save  him.  The  old  trapper  had  come  out  fairly  well, 
for  at  the  insistence  of  the  lad  he  had  stepped  back 
from  the  roaring  furnace  of  fire  about  the  pilot  house. 
Herbert  had  been  scorched  somewhat,  but  was  out  of 
danger  from  his  burns.  The  two  were  about  the  lad, 
watching  his  every  unconscious  movement.  They  hoped 
that  he  might  come  back  to  his  right  mind  before  he 
passed  out  and  he  did,  speaking  their  names  with  a 
smile.  ^' John  ISTorton,  Herbert!  How  many  were 
saved  ?  " 

They  told  him.  Then  the  old  trapper  said :  "  Lad, 
ye  have  come  to  the  eend  of  the  trail  and  yer  feet  be 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  LOVE  93 

on  the  edge  of  the  Great  Clerin' !  "  ''  I  am  not  afraid 
to  die,  John  Norton/'  said  the  lad.  He  gave  a  few 
words  to  them  as  to  his  fiddle  and  rifle.  Then  the  old 
trapper  with  tears  in  his  eyes  said :  ^'  Lad,  I've  lived 
beyond  the  limits  of  man's  days,  and  I've  seed  many 
of  the  wise  and  the  great.  The  Lord  has  sartinly  given 
you  something  better  than  the  knowin'  head  and  the 
cunnin'  tongue;  for  He  gin  ye  a  heart  to  love  right 
and  to  hate  wrong ;  and  He  made  ye  marcif ul  to  them 
that  do  evil  and  treated  ye  unkindly;  and  He  gin  ye 
a  courage  to  die  like  a  chief  without  tremblin'.  And 
more  than  all  the  wise  and  great  I  have  knowed,  lad,  I 
think  ye  was  favoured  by  yer  Maker." 

The  lad  listened  with  a  wonderful  smile  and  after 
a  few  moments,  he  suddenly  lifted  his  eyes  and  looked 
far  out  and  cried:  ''  Mother!  "  and  he  was  gone.  And 
there  in  the  farmyard  by  the  sea,  near  the  beach,  they 
buried  him  near  his  mother,  and  they  put  on  his  stone : 
"  The  Man  Who  Didn't  Know  Much."  But  better  yet, 
they  should  have  put:  "  He  Saved  Others;  Himself  He 
Could  Not  Save." 

Love  gives  to  the  utmost.  No  sacrifice  is  too  great. 
This  is  the  story  of  Christ's  love.  It  was  sacrificial, 
"  God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  be- 
gotten Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  Him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  Here  is  the 
Bible  in  miniature ;  the  story  of  love  in  its  final  essence. 
Love  saves. 

Glorious  loving  is  glorious  spiritual  uplifting.  To 
love  abundantly  is  to  live  abundantly.  To  love  forever 
is  to  live  forever.    To  have  love  is  to  have  God,  and  to 


94  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

have  God  is  to  have  all.  Oiir  business  in  this  world 
is  to  love  divinely,  that  we  may  live  divinely;  to  save 
divinely  that  we  may  reign  divinely;  to  give  divinely 
that  we  may  lift  divinely:  to  die  divinely  that  we  may 
awake  in  His  likeness,  which  is  Glorious  Heavenly 
Love. 


THE  MEN  WHO  DAKED 

HE  was  America's  most  typical  son,  Theodore 
Koosevelt !  He  had  wonderful  intuition,  great 
energy,  rugged  honesty,  intense  Americanism. 
He  made  the  unusual  wherever  he  was.  When  the 
Japanese  Ambassador  insulted  him  by  most  abrupt  de- 
mands concerning  the  California  Japanese  land  ques- 
tion, President  Eoosevelt  demanded  his  recall  which 
was  consummated  at  once.  But  the  German  govern- 
ment, making  ready  for  its  world  war,  saw  a  chance 
to  make  a  secret  treaty  with  an  offended  Japanese 
nation,  and  so  asked  for  the  appointment  of  the  recalled 
ambassador  to  Germany,  which  was  done.  President 
Eoosevelt  saw  the  intrigue  and  at  once  suggested  to 
Congress  that  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  send  our  battle- 
fleet  around  the  world  for  a  practice  cruise.  Congress 
did  not  have  the  vision  and  refused  the  money  for  the 
trip.  His  reply  to  Congress  was :  "  I  have  the  money 
in  the  reserve  fund  to  send  them  over  there,  and  I  am 
going  to  send  them,  and  they  will  stay  there  until  you 
furnish  the  money  for  them  to  come  back."  He 
DARED !  The  fleet  made  its  trip,  the  Japanese  under- 
stood the  meaning  of  that  trip  and  all  talk  of  war 
ceased  and  the  treaty  with  Germany  was  never  made. 

95 


96  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

The  world  today  thanks  God  that  we  had  a  President 
at  that  time  "  Who  Dared." 

We  are  at  an  hour  in  the  world's  crisis.  Ordinary 
men  cannot  save  it.  Men  who  dare  for  God  and  the 
right  are  in  demand.  Some  men  among  us  are  ahout 
to  join  the  hosts  of  chivalry  and  march  into  the  records 
of  God's  history  forever.  The  call  today  is  for  the 
heroic  in  men.  There  are  vested  interests  intrenched ; 
corrupt  systems  to  be  overthrown ;  pleasure-seeking  men 
and  women  to  be  admonished ;  a  church  to  be  upheld ; 
institutions  to  be  preserved ;  a  God  to  be  enthroned ; 
where  are  the  men  who  dare?  They  are  coming!  Al- 
ready the  challenge  has  been  issued  and  God  is  raising 
up  men  to  do  His  will,  that  righteousness  shall  not 
perish  off  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Men  in  the  past  have  dared.  We  live  in  their  sacri- 
ficial freedom,  liberty  and  religion.  Their  names  are 
many,  but  we  will  look  at  three  in  David's  time,  who 
made  him  king,  and  give  us  vivid  pictures  of  heroism. 

There  is  Eleazer,  a  man  who  "  arose  and  smote  the 
Philistines  until  his  hand  was  weary,  and  his  hand 
clave  unto  the  sword;  and  Jehovah  wrought  a  great 
victory  that  day."  Eleazer  means  "  the  man  whom  God 
aids."  He  was  the  son  of  "Dodo,"  the  loving  one. 
These  meanings  give  us  some  conceptions  as  to  the  suc- 
cess and  qualities  of  this  man.  The  son  of  a  loving  one 
becomes  a  great  warrior,  and  God  aids  him,  which  is  the 
secret  of  his  success.  He  won  because  he  gripped  his 
weapon  of  offence,  and  because  he  put  all  there  was  in 
him  to  the  task.  Here  is  our  lesson  today.  We  must 
GRIP  OUE  WEAPONS,  and  put  all  there  is  in  us  into  the 


THE  MEN  WHO  DARED  97 

task.  Half-heartedness  means  a  failure ;  not  to  use  our 
weapons  is  to  be  defeated. 

What  weapons  have  we?  We  have  the  Sword  of 
the  Spirit.  It  is  our  best  weapon.  To  know  how  to 
wield  the  Word  of  God  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
possessions  of  offence  and  defence.  But  we  must  not 
wield  it  for  our  prejudices — to  prove  the  doctrine  of  a 
church,  the  second  coming  of  Christ  alone,  baptism, 
spiritualism  or  healing.  Joseph  Smith  read  it  for 
Mormonism ;  Mary  Baker  Eddy  for  Christian  Science ; 
Dowie  for  healing.  The  bible  is  the  literature 
OF  the  spirit.  Its  dreams  are  deep;  its  vision  high; 
its  words  are  mystical.  It  can  only  be  understood  by 
the  spiritual  man.  It  is  an  atmosphere ;  it  is  a  mood ; 
it  is  a  divine  brooding;  it  is  a  force;  it  is  a  Sword  of 
the  Spirit  for  the  man  who  grips  it  rightly.  How  shall 
I  grip  it? 

Eirst  as  the  Word  of  God.  "  All  scripture  is  God 
breathed"— 2  Tim.  3:16.  We  do  not  press  this  to 
verbal  inspiration  of  all  manuscripts,  but  to  the  fact 
as  Paul  gives  it. 

Second,  the  Word  must  be  rightly  divided. 
"  Handling  aright  the  word  of  truth."  2  Tim.  2 :  15. 
How  ?  In  its  relation  to  Jew,  Gentile  and  the  Church. 
"  Give  no  occasion  of  stumbling,  either  to  the  Jews, 
or  to  the  Greeks,  or  to  the  church  of  God."  1  Cor. 
10 :  32.  The  message  to  the  Church  is  found  from 
Eomans  to  Thessalonians.  Part  of  that  was  written 
while  Paul  was  ministering  to  both  Jew  and  Gentile, 
but  when  he  became  the  prisoner  of  Christ  Jesus  on 
behalf  of  the  Gentile,  many  things  drop  out  and  others 


98  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

are  revealed.  Eph.,  Phil.,  Col.,  are  the  prison  epistles 
and  the  last  to  the  Church  which  is  his  body.  The  other 
scriptures  are  also  invaluable  though  not  written  to 
us,  and  we  can  use  them  for  instruction  and  illustra- 
tion, and  apply  them  inside  the  limits  of  our  dispensa- 
tion. We  get  into  contradictions  and  difficulties  at  once 
when  we  read  the  message  of  one  dispensation  into 
another.  Here  is  a  chance  for  the  harmonizer.  It  is 
quite  probable  that  not  one  of  the  points  which  cause 
the  division  between  the  various  Protestant  denomina- 
tions can  be  defended  from  a  rightly  divided  scripture. 

Third,  God  is  in  the  Word  and  He  cannot  deny 
Himself.  Therefore  no  one  scripture  may  be  used  to 
contradict  another.  If  it  seems  to  do  so,  it  is  quite 
likely  the  fault  of  the  interpretation  and  not  in  the 
scripture,  and  we  must  find  out  how  to  correct  our 
ideas. 

Fourth,  distinguish  between  interpretation  and  appli- 
cation. The  former  is  absolute  and  belongs  to  them  to 
whom  it  was  addressed.  When  we  have  found  that, 
then  we  are  in  a  position  to  make  various  applications 
or  illustrations,  but  only  within  the  limits  of  our  dis- 
pensation. We  must  not,  as  is  almost  universally  done, 
read  the  Kingdom  into  the  Church ;  the  Jewish  into  the 
Gentile ;  Law  into  Grace,  or  vice  versa. 

Fifth,  use  the  Word  as  the  only  authority.  We  must 
not  substitute  authorities  and  writers,  for  the  actual 
word  of  God  itself.  The  only  weapon  Satan  does 
fear  is  the  Word  itself.  Any  other  language  has  not 
the  living  sharp  edge  which  the  Word  has  to  give. 
JSTotice  the  pregnant  sentence  in  Mark  about  the  para- 


THE  MEN  WHO  DARED  99 

ble  of  the  sower.  "  The  seed  is  the  Word."  That 
is  the  only  seed  the  true  sower  sows.  Elowers  may  be 
more  beautiful;  tares  may  be  almost  alike  in  appear- 
ance, but  the  only  seed  the  Sower  will  own  is  the 
Word.  Moreover  the  only  harvest  he  will  gather  in  is 
that  which  comes  from  the  Word.  And  the  sower 
who  sows  anything  else,  however  beautiful,  in  His  field, 
is  counted  an  enemy.  How  important  then  the  in- 
junction :  "  Peeach  the  w^ord."  Every  other  crop, 
every  plant  which  my  Father  hath  not  planted  shall  be 
rooted  up  "  and  burned." 

Here,  then,  is  our  weapon.  To  know  how  to  use 
it  rightly  is  to  have  all  needed  wisdom;  all  needed 
power.  Grip  the  Word  with  your  mind  and  your 
heart;  grip  it  with  your  hand  and  your  life  behind  it, 
and  it  will  give  victory. 

Grip  the  spirit  !  This  gives  the  greatest  auxili- 
ary aid  a  man  can  have  in  his  battle.  Then  he  is 
changed  from  an  ordinary  into  an  extraordinary  man. 
In  these  days  we  are  apt  to  grip  our  intellectual  train- 
ing, our  financial  resources,  our  social  standing,  our 
influential  pulls,  and  count  on  these  things  to  give  us 
the  victory.  We  must  go  past  all  these  to  the  Spirit, 
and  realize  "  that  it  is  not  by  might  nor  by  power, 
but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts." 

We  generate  power  not  by  organization;  not  by  a 
fine  church,  a  splendid  choir,  a  great  preacher,  but  by 
"  waiting  on  the  Lord."  God  is  looking  for  men  who 
dare  to  be  "  pious  " ;  dare  to  give  God  a  chance  at  their 
means,  their  hearts,  and  their  time.  The  spiritual 
product  of  efficiency  comes  out  of  our  persistency.    We 


100  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

must  go  "a  little  further";  we  must  needs  use  the 
"  last  bit  of  meal  " ;  we  must  take  "  the  last  step  " 
with  the  Spirit,  and  then  we  have  found  the  means  by 
which  we  win  and  honour  God. 

^^  There  is  an  ancient  legend,  that  while  the  Greeks 
were  besieging  Troy  they  received  an  oracle  to  the 
effect  that  the  city  would  never  be  taken  till  Achilles 
came  to  the  front.  The  mother  of  Achilles  had  been 
assured  that  death  would  overtake  him  if  he  went  to 
war,  and  moved  by  motherly  fear,  she  contrived  to  have 
him  hidden  away  disguised  as  a  girl  in  the  court  of 
Diomedes.  Crafty  old  Ulysses,  having  heard  of  the 
oracle  touching  the  need  of  the  presence  of  the  young 
soldier  before  the  walls  of  Troy,  set  out  at  once  to 
search  for  him.  In  the  guise  of  a  pedlar  he  effected  an 
entrance  into  the  castle  of  Diomedes,  where  before  the 
eager  eyes  of  a  group  of  girls  he  spread  out  a  glittering 
array  of  gewgaws  such  as  girls  are  supposed  to  delight 
in,  while,  as  if  by  chance,  there  was  laid  among  them  a 
heavy  sword.  Suddenly,  at  a  preconcerted  signal  ar- 
ranged by  Ulysses,  a  trumpet  blast  sounded  at  the  gate, 
whereupon  one  of  the  girls,  with  flushing  cheeks  and 
kindling  eyes,  sprang  forward  and  gripped  the  sword 
and  flashed  it  in  the  air,  and  stood  forth  every  inch  a 
soldier.  Ulysses  had  found  his  man,  and  laying  his 
hand  upon  his  shoulder  said :  '  Achilles,  I  want  you.' 
And  Achilles  went,  and  Troy  fell." 

What  is  wanted  today  are  Eleazers  in  spirit,  who  will 
be  recruiting  ofiicers  like  Ulysses,  and  recruits  like 
Achilles  gripping  the  sword  of  power,  going  forth  that 
the  strongholds  of  sin  may  fall. 


THE  MEN  WHO  DARED  101 

The  need  is  great!  God  give  us  men  who  dare! 
Men  who  will  not  debate,  but  do;  men  who  will  not 
criticize  but  construct;  men  who  are  not  pacifists  but 
fighters;  men  whose  hands  will  cleave  unto  their 
weapons,  until  the  just  peace  comes ;  until  Christ  reigns. 

Shammah  dared !  He  was  the  son  of  Agee,  a  Hara- 
rite.  And  the  Philistines  were  gathered  together  into  a 
troop,  where  there  was  a  plot  of  ground  full  of  lentils; 
and  the  people  fled  from  the  Philistines.  But  he  stood 
in  the  midst  of  the  plot,  and  defended  it,  and  slew  the 
Philistines ;  and  Jehovah  wrought  a  great  victory.  And 
he  was  Shammah  the  Harodite." 

The  man  who  stands  is  one  with  Joshua,  Gideon, 
Elijah,  Paul,  the  martyrs,  and  the  saviours  of  the 
world.  But  something  always  goes  before  a  man's 
stand.  What  is  it?  What  went  before  Shammah's 
stand?  1^0  man  ever  takes  a  stand  by  chance.  If 
we  dig  into  the  queer  words  here  that  are  linked  up 
with  this  man,  we  may  discover  some  secrets. 

First,  he  was  a  "  Hararite."  This  means  "  a 
mountaineer."  It  is  a  fact  of  history  that  the  men 
and  women  brought  up  near  the  mountains  have  al- 
ways in  all  countries  had  a  gi'eater  loyalty  and  love  of 
country  than  any  other  class  of  people.  The  air  and 
the  mountains  seem  to  breathe  into  a  man  a  greater 
efficiency,  a  loftier  idealism,  a  greater  conception  of 
mightiness,  than  the  plain  or  the  low  lands.  There 
seems  to  be  instilled  into  the  body  a  greater  power,  into 
the  mind  more  stamina  for  standing  and  resisting  the 
mean  and  the  sordid  than  anywhere  else.  There  is 
given  a  stronger  form,  greater  strength,  a  marvellous 


102  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

physique,  a  tremendous  will.  Hence,  I  believe  that 
Shammah  possessed  a  wonderful  body,  and  that  there 
had  been  wrought  into  his  fibre  enormous  strength, 
desperate  bravery,  and  sustained  power.  I  do  not  know 
that  he  was  big  in  form,  for  my  observation  tends  to 
make  me  believe  that  he  was  only  of  fair  size.  The 
smaller  men  have  made  the  best  soldiers  and  the  braver 
men.  But  he  did  have  a  fine  spirit  in  a  fine  body. 
This  was  a  great  asset. 

Second,  he  was  "  a  Harodite."  This  must  have  been 
his  ancestral  home.  He  came  from  Harod.  Sometimes 
it  is  worth  while  knowing  where  a  man  comes  from. 
Certain  places  produce  big  men  and  women.  We  could 
enumerate  a  number  of  states  that  have  done  more 
for  this  country  than  others  put  together.  We  could 
give  the  names  of  places  in  these  states  that  have  been 
mighty  in  influencing  the  country.  But  prudence  re- 
strains us.  What  was  there  in  Harod  to  help  a  man 
on  to  greatness?  Here  was  the  place  where  Gideon 
had  fought  his  battle  with  his  three  hundred  men.  The 
tale  was  still  fresh  among  the  people;  the  story  still 
unfolded  at  the  tables  of  the  people;  the  glory  of  it  all 
still  animated  the  youth  and  held  up  to  them  the 
fact  that  they  must  maintain  the  honour  of  the  place. 
Under  such  stimulus  Shammah  grew  and  thought  and 
vowed  until  he  played  the  part  of  a  Gideon  inside  of 
his  life.  He  was  making  himself  big  on  the  inside 
through  such  food  and  scenery  and  stimulation  of 
teaching. 

But  in  the  third  place,  he  was  the  "  son  of  Agee." 
Sometimes,   if   we  know   who   the   father   is,   we  get 


THE  MEN  WHO  DARED  103 

some  conception  of  the  son.  We  heard  it  said  one 
time  at  Harvard :  ^'  Robert  Lincoln,  son  of  his  illus- 
trious father,  Abraham  Lincoln."  What  cheers  and 
what  great  emotions !  Lie  was  proud  of  his  name  and 
heritage,  and  we  were  glad  to  do  him  honour,  for  the 
name  he  had  made,  and  the  name  he  bore.  But  Agee! 
Who  was  he  ?  He  was  a  "  fugitive  " — that  is  what  the 
name  means.  Shammah  then,  was  the  son  of  a  coward. 
Fine  name  to  give  a  son !  Mighty  handicap  for  a  young 
man !  And  yet,  oftentimes  that  is  just  what  fathers  are 
doing.  They  are  staining  the  name  they  bear,  and  giving 
over  to  their  children  a  heritage  of  woe  and  shame  that 
is  a  millstone  about  their  necks.  Let  fathers  and 
mothers  ponder  these  things  carefully  and  be  careful 
of  the  family  name!  Give  the  children  every  chance 
that  belongs  to  them ! 

But  Shammah  made  up  his  mind  to  wipe  out  the 
family  disgrace.  It  rankled  in  his  blood  as  a  boy. 
His  mother  appealed  to  him  to  do  something.  He  was 
ashamed  of  the  record.  He  would,  if  he  ever  had  a 
chance,  make  a  record  that  would  give  the  family  stand- 
ing in  that  community  and  a  new  coat  of  arms.  Many 
a  son  has  done  this.  The  sons  of  drunkards,  of  thieves, 
of  harlots,  have  seen  so  much  of  the  bad,  and  the  dis- 
graceful, that  they  sicken  of  it,  and  turn  away  to  the 
better  and  the  truer  of  life,  make  great  men  and  women, 
and  give  a  new  impetus  to  the  family  record  that  clears 
it  and  makes  it  an  honour  in  the  land.  Thus  did  Sham- 
mah. We  can  see  the  desire  in  him.  We  can  feel  with 
him!  He  just  wanted  a  chance!  God  is  going  to  give 
it  to  him !    He  is  going  to  give  it  to  you !    Every  man 


104?  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

has  his  chance.  How  he  meets  it  depends  on  how  he 
has  lived  before  he  comes  to  it. 

What  did  Shammah  stand  for?  He  stood  for  the 
bean  field  of  the  city ;  for  the  poor,  the  oppressed.  He 
was  not  fighting  for  his  own  glory,  or  his  own  prefer- 
ment, but  for  others.  What  honour !  What  vision ! 
What  a  great  man !    Mighty  man ! 

And  today  there  is  call  for  men  to  dare  and  stand. 
There  is  a  rush  of  Philistine  life  upon  us  in  many 
ways.  The  fields  of  recreation,  safeguarding  our 
children  are  being  rushed  by  cheap  picture  shows, 
pleasure-seeking  excursions  of  the  lower  type ;  the  fields 
of  business  are  being  seized  by  fierce,  ungodly  motives 
and  unrighteous  competition ;  the  fields  of  holy  Sabbath 
meditation,  are  captured  by  the  sordid  money  maker, 
the  unholy  and  often  vicious  worldling.  There 
is  much  at  stake  and  the  call  comes  for  men  who 
dare  to  stand  in  the  drift  of  the  hour  for  the  ideals 
that  save  the  people. 

Once  there  was  a  cyclone  that  rushed  over  a  forest. 
It  cut  a  path  nearly  three  hundred  feet  wide  and  all 
trees  were  laid  low  but  one.  That  one  stood.  How 
came  it  to  stand  ?  When  it  was  young  and  began  to 
grow  it  determined  to  fit  itself  for  any  test  of  life.  It 
therefore  built  itself  down  into  the  soil  of  strength, 
appropriating  great  boulders  and  twining  its  roots  about 
them,  running  out  in  all  directions  for  all  the  sustain- 
ing life  possible.  Overhead  it  put  fibre  into  its  trunk 
and  seized  all  elements  of  air  and  moisture  to  make 
itself  strong.  Thus  it  came  to  manhood  powerfully 
built,  made  ready  for  the  storms  and  tests  that  might 


THE  MEN  WHO  DARED  105 

be  given  to  it.  When  the  cyclone  came,  it  twisted,  and 
groaned  and  shook  with  the  hurricane  of  testing,  but  it 
held  on  and  righted  itself  and  stood  as  a  lesson  to  all 
thinking  men  and  women. 

Today  the  cyclone  of  passion,  appetite,  lust,  pleasure, 
easy-going,  careless  thinking.  Sabbath  breaking  is  upon 
us.  Down  goes  a  father's  pet  and  pride  in  the  storm 
of  passion ;  down  goes  a  mother's  son,  the  object  of  her 
prayers,  and  yet,  only  here  and  there  are  men  and 
women  standing  against  these  drifts.  God  wants  men 
who  dare  to  stand  for  the  right  today! 

What  came  from  Shammah's  stand?  What  was  in 
him  came  out.  Life  is  a  process  of  self-revelation. 
We  are  surprised  at  our  weakness;  we  are  surprised 
at  our  strength.  Every  principle  must  be  tested ;  every 
thought  tried,  and  what  we  have  been  doing  will  be 
seen. 

"  Yon  moulder,  dealing  with  the  molten  iron,  who 
has  cunningly  shaped  his  matrix  and  pours  the  liquid 
stuff  to  take  form,  is  not  more  surely  determining  the 
destiny  of  his  iron  than  you,  as  you  go  down  into  your 
business  world,  are  being  moulded  into  shape  of  char- 
acter by  the  things  that  meet  you,  the  influences  that 
ply  you,  the  choices  you  make."  All  will  out  in  the 
hour  of  testing! 

Shammah  won  a  victory.  He  was  promoted,  set  over 
higher  things.  He  became  a  standard  for  all  men  who 
dare  to  follow,  and  gives  us  a  picture  of  the  glorious 
reward  that  comes  to  a  man  who  takes  a  stand  with 
God  and  the  right. 

"  And  Benaiah,  the  son  of  Jehoida,  the  son  of  a 


106  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

valiant  man  of  Kabzeel,  "who  had  done  mighty  deeds, 
...  he  went  down  also  and  slew  a  lion  in  the  midst 
of  a  pit  in  time  of  snow."  And  David  set  him  over 
his  guard.  "  Benaiah  "  means  ''  The  Man  That  God 
Built.''  He  will  surely  give  an  account  of  himself, 
then.  What  a  fine  start  he  had !  !N'otice,  "  he  was 
the  son  of  a  valiant  man."  It  is  a  good  thing  to 
have  such  a  father  and  such  a  family  record.  When 
will  our  fathers  realize  that  every  child  has  the  right 
to  a  good  family  name;  the  right  to  be  well  born,  and 
environed!  Benaiah  had  a  fine  start  but  he  is  his 
father  plus.  He  adds  to  the  family  name.  What 
joy  such  a  son  brings  to  the  father!  What  sorrow 
when  the  boy  is  his  father  minus!  No  sadder  blow 
can  befall  a  father.  God  help  the  young  men  to  see 
these  things  early! 

What  did  Benaiah  do?  He  killed  a  lion.  That 
was  a  great  deed  of  bravery.  He  did  not  have  our 
modem  weapons,  only  his  knife,  most  likely.  His 
lion  was  no  half  tamed,  domesticated  lion  that  we 
see  in  shows,  but  a  wild,  fierce,  half  starved  lion  with 
tremendous  fight  in  him.     But  he  killed  him. 

We  have  our  lions  to  kill.  They  are  moral  more 
than  physical.  Many  of  our  soldiers  were  able 
courageously  to  fight  the  foe,  but  could  not  fight  the 
evil  woman,  the  drink,  the  gambling,  the  besetting 
sin.  But  when  a  man  says :  "  I  will  kill  my  besetting 
sin ;  I  will  put  away  this  temptation  to  lust !  "  he  is 
killing  his  lion  and  doing  braver  work  than  Benaiah 
did.  Notice  the  fact  that  more  men  have  been  slain  by 
venereal  diseases  than  by  war.     Let  our  war  officials 


THE  MEN  WHO  DARED  107 

think  on  these  things  as  well  as  the  other  things.  I 
speak  as  one  who  was  a  chaplain  in  the  Spanish  war, 
and  as  one  who  has  seen  these  things. 

And  then  there  are  the  cubs  to  kill  that  grow 
UP  INTO  LIONS.  One  of  these  is  "  fretting."  This  will 
make  a  hot  box  in  the  house,  the  store,  just  as  much 
as  the  sand  makes  a  hot  box  on  the  train. 

Another  is  ^'  temper.''  Temper  is  good  and  a  part 
of  our  makeup,  but  it  must  not  be  allowed  to  run 
awaj  with  us.  Controlled  it  is  like  an  engine  on  the 
track;  uncontrolled,  it  is  like  an  engine  flying  the 
track. 

Another  is  "  sulkiness."  This  is  like  a  mule  that 
backs  up,  and  soon  kicks.  Better  ^^  Coo,"  and  avoid 
the  rebound  from  the  kick. 

Little  sins,  excesses  on  the  wrong  side  of  life,  are 
stepping-stones  to  great  sins,  and  troubles.  They  grow 
up  into  lions  after  a  while.  A  good  motto  to  put  up 
in  our  homes  and  offices  would  be :  '^  Kill  that  cub  !  " 
It  would  have  a  fine  suggesting  effect.     Try  it. 

In  the  next  place  Benaiah  killed  his  lion  in  a  dry 
well.  This  was  a  difficult  place.  Too  close  quarters, 
we  might  say.  But  not  for  this  mighty  man  of  David. 
The  fight  would  be  over  quicker,  and  there  was  no 
getting  away  from  the  matter  in  hand. 

What  is  our  matter  in  hand?  To  make  a  living? 
l!^o!  to  glorify  God;  to  witness  to  His  truth;  to  en- 
hance His  kingdom  on  the  earth ;  to  make  a  life.  Hence 
whatever  we  may  be  we  must  kill  the  lion  of  meanness, 
sin,  lust,  that  comes  up  against  us.  We  must  take  our 
place  in  the  shop  and  the  office,  on  the  street,  for  God, 


108  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

and  testify  to  our  righteous  desires  and  purposes.  It 
means  a  great  fight  to  kill  your  lion  in  your  employer's 
wicked  advances,  wicked  suggestions ;  in  your  relations 
to  fellow  clerks  and  beings,  at  home  and  abroad,  but  you 
can  do  it.  "  There  were  saints  in  Caesar's  household," 
who  lived  the  life  of  Christ  and  kept  sweet  and  pure. 
We  may  have  to  conquer  our  lion  in  a  pit  of  close 
quarters;  close  relations;  close  wickedness,  but  we  can 
do  it.  Grip  your  weapons !  Stand  for  the  field  of 
Christianity !  Fight  for  your  spiritual  life, — the  lion 
in  front  of  you ! 

Flowers  of  character  can  grow  in  unlooked  for 
places.  They  can  scatter  their  fragrance  and  beauty 
on  the  mountain  tops  of  lust  and  power,  or  in  the  low 
lands  of  profanity  and  beastliness.  The  flower  of  char- 
acter grows  out  of  your  own  heart;  it  develops  from 
within,  out. 

And  Benaiah  killed  his  lion  ^^  in  the  time  of  snow." 
It  was  a  cold  day  then,  and  the  cold  added  to  the 
numbness  of  the  man  and  the  ferocity  of  the  beast. 
He  might  have  pleaded  a  warmer  day  for  the  fight, 
but  he  did  not.  He  knew  that  when  he  jumped  in  he 
would  be  "  hot."  The  way  to  warm  up  to  the  great 
and  splendid  is  to  have  a  fight  to  make.      "  This  has 

BEEN    AN    AGE    OF    ROSE    WATER    AND    CUSHIONS  "    in    the 

Church,  ^ow  we  must  fight.  We  don't  want  to  do 
it.  We  are  cold  and  indifferent  and  would  like  to 
escape.  We  must  now  fight  the  lion  of  sin  and  ag- 
gression right  at  our  door.  The  quicker  we  get  in  with 
ourselves,  our  money,  our  prayers,  our  faith  in  God, 
our  determination,  the  better  it  will  be  for  us  and  the 


THE  MEN  WHO  DARED  109 

world  that  comes  after  us.  Now  it  is  a  fight  for  the 
Democracy  of  the  Church  against  the  Autocracy  of 
Evil.  We  have  the  leader  in  Christ  who  can  give  us 
the  ideals  and  plans  for  winning  our  campaign.  Once 
we  begin  the  fight,  we  shall  get  the  warmth  that  gives 
us  courage  and  persistency  to  put  righteousness  over  in 
our  land. 

God  is  thrusting  us  out  into  the  great  world  arena. 
The  Church  has  the  power  behind  her  in  the  Spirit 
that  when  incarnated  in  human  lives  makes  men  virile, 
aggressive,  vitalizing  and  saving.  'No  more  denuncia- 
tion but  demonstration;  no  more  sulking  but  working; 
no  more  indifference  but  enthusiasm;  no  more  fearing 
but  daring.  The  Lord  God  of  Hosts  is  with  us  yet! 
We  see  men  training,  marching,  fighting,  and  we  shall 
win  by  gripping  the  Sword  of  the  Spirit,  by  standing 
for  truth  and  justice;  by  killing  weakness,  sinfulness 
and  worldliness.  We  will  march  into  the  ranks  of  the 
Men  Who  Dare ! 


VI 

THE  ATMOSPHEKE  OF  A  PEESOISTALITY 

AYOUl^G  man  went  to  see  his  sweetheart.     He 
went  with  the  intention   of  saying   something 
most  important  to  her,  hut  he  didn't  do  it;  the 
reason  why,  he  said :  "  Was  her  atmosphere." 

We  all  have  an  atmosphere.  We  cannot  divest  our- 
selves of  it.  It  is  with  us  wherever  we  go,  or  what- 
ever we  do.  It  is  like  nature's  atmosphere,  warm  or 
cold,  stimulating  or  freezing,  malarial  or  clarifying  life. 

In  some  respects  this  atmosphere  is  the  most  im- 
portant thing  ahout  us.  While  Theosophists  make  too 
much  of  one's  "  Aura  "  and  the  Occultist  claims  he  can 
discern  one's  character  by  it,  most  of  us  do  not  think 
enough  ahout  it.  We  all  unconsciously  feel  it  when-' 
ever  wo  meet  a  person.  There  are  some  people  whose 
presence  is  like  a  cloud  over  the  sun,  casting  a  dark 
shadow;  some  are  like  an  east  wind  striking  chills  into 
your  body;  others  are  like  an  orchestra  off  the  key,  or 
like  a  nettle  stinging  your  limbs.  There  are  others  who 
stimulate  you  like  wine ;  inspire  you  like  love,  lift  you 
up  like  a  symphony,  drive  you  on  like  electricity.  One 
atmosphere  helps  you  to  be  calm  and  good,  another  stirs 
you  to  temper  and  evil. 

Here,  then,  is  a  mighty  unseen  force,  the  electricity  of 
souls.     We  must  learn  to  use  it,  to  wire  it,  to  control 

110 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     111 

it  wisely.  The  subtle  currents  whicli  interpret  us  must 
be  good,  strong,  helpful  and  noble  in  every  respect  if 
our  atmosphere  objectifies  itself  correctly. 

We  are  influenced  by  physical  atmospheres.  Our 
form,  our  body,  our  face,  our  hands,  our  feet,  our  eyes, 
our  voice,  make  or  unmake  people.  There  is  an  in- 
tangible personal  atmosphere  which  clothes  a  man's 
general  appearance.  Daniel  Webster's  form  on  the 
street  always  commanded  attention  and  great  respect. 
Every  human  being  possesses  an  atmosphere  quite 
peculiar  to  himself  which  invests  and  interprets  him, 
and  the  presence  of  which  others  readily  detect.  This 
was  seen  very  often  in  the  Christ  life. 

We  are  bound  together  by  thought  atmospheres.  l!^o 
word  is  spoken  but  a  subtle  telepathy  is  binding  us  up ; 
a  wireless  telephone  has  connected  us,  and  thoughts 
come  trooping  into  our  life  that  add  to  the  sum-total  of 
strength,  or  weakness,  inspiration  or  contamination. 
We  instinctively  feel  the  warm  glow  of  another  life 
and  are  made  happy  in  the  consciousness  of  it,  or  we 
are  pained  at  the  shadow  that  for  a  moment  has  come 
upon  us,  as  we  pass  like  ships  in  the  night. 

The  thought  organism  is  here,  ready  to  serve  us. 
The  ideal  is  in  ourselves,  and  the  impediment  also.  It 
is  for  us  to  make  it  great  and  wholesome,  or  weak  and 
injurious.  Purity,  truth  and  worthy  motive  in  the 
thoughts,  are  as  essential  as  finished  technique  to  the 
highest  art.  The  man  who  lives  below  his  best,  thinks 
below  his  best,  works  below  his  best,  throws  out  below 
his  best.  ''  A  corrupt  tree  cannot  bring  forth  good 
fruit."     You  cannot  make  your  atmosphere  other  than 


112  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

your  thoughts.  It  can  tone  up,  and  be  beneficial,  or  it 
can  injure  and  pull  do\\Ti  the  beauty  of  life. 

The  human  brain  is  essentially  a  battery,  and  it  is 
connected  up  with  the  atmosphere  of  all  things  touch- 
ing it;  making  a  contribution  of  something  in  every 
life. 

There  is  not  a  moment  of  existence  when  we  are  not 
under  the  influence  of  thought  atmosphere.  When  we 
enter  our  homes  there  comes  a  change  over  those  within, 
and  we  encounter  much  from  them.  When  we  go 
down  the  street  the  influences  of  life's  commerce  come ; 
when  we  enter  the  church  fresh  waves  of  thought  power 
grip  us  there;  when  we  go  to  the  lodge,  the  club,  the 
social  gathering,  the  store,  the  office,  the  shop,  thoughts 
crowd  upon  us  and  affect  us  there.  The  world  is  made 
so  we  cannot  live  unto  ourselves.  We  charge  others, 
and  they  in  turn  charge  us.  We  breathe  the  atmosphere 
of  the  place  we  enter,  and  we  throw  out  that  which  we 
have  generated  within. 

A  few  years  ago  Bishop  J.  H.  Vincent  gave  a  most 
interesting  parable.  He  said :  "  A  man  sat  in  his 
library  on  the  last  day  of  the  year,  busily  engaged.  His 
little  daughter  came  into  the  room.  The  attention  of 
the  father  was  attracted  for  a  moment  to  her.  At  first 
she  smiled,  and  then  on  her  little  face  a  frown  gathered ; 
then  a  look  of  wonder;  then  a  look  of  pain,  and  the 
child  turned  to  withdraw. 

"  ^  ^Vhat  is  the  matter/  he  asked.  ^  Why  do  you 
frown,  my  child  ? ' 

"  She  said :  ^  The  room  seems  so  close,  and  I  saw  a 
faint  blue  mist  or  smoke  in  the  air,  and  I  was  afraid.' 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     113 

"  ^  But  the  window  is  wide  open,  the  air  is  very  pure, 
and  the  sun  is  shining  brightly/  said  her  father. 

"  ^  I  don't  know  what  it  was/  the  child  said,  ^  but 
I  was  frightened  at  first  and  could  not  breathe  easily, 
and  you  looked  so  strange,  papa.  But  it  is  all  right 
now,  papa.'    And  the  door  closed. 

"  ^  It  was  very  curious/  thought  the  man.  ^  I  wonder 
what  it  was.    Is  she  a  nervous  child  ? ' 

"  Suddenly  a  strange  Presence  appeared  and  spoke 
as  follows: 

"  ^  The  child's  face  and  fear  should  teach  you  a  lesson. 
For  that  moment  the  innocent  thing  had  insight.  She 
saw  realities  in  the  invisible  atmosphere  of  the  room — 
realities  of  motive,  of  tendency  and  of  character,  all  of 
which  are  created  by  your  own  personality.  In  this 
room  are  mightiest  energies.  The  air  fills  this  room. 
Here  is  electricity.  And  the  pressure  of  gravitation  is 
hera  And  here  also  is  spirit.  You  are  spirit.  What 
you  think,  what  you  desire,  what  you  love,  what  you 
resolve,  what  you  are — all  these  are  forces  that  may  re- 
veal themselves  to  sensitive  souls  in  lights  and  shadows, 
tints  and  colours,  pressures,  repulsions  and  attractions. 
What  you  are  is  making  itself  felt.  The  personal  am- 
bition, the  unworthy  desire,  the  ungenerous  motive, 
burden  and  colour  the  very  atmosphere.  Sensitive  and 
spiritual  natures  may  detect  it,  may  be  influenced  by 
it,  helped,  hurt  by  it." 

"  ^  It  is  a  solemn  thought  that  by  what  we  are  at  core 
we  are  in  influence ;  that  we  are  making  power ;  that  we 
are  letting  loose  forces  in  the  universe  that  mar  or  mould, 
that  weaken  or  strengthen,  and  that  tear  down  or  build 


114  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

up.  We  create  currents  of  influence  which  remain 
active  forever.' 

"  And  as  the  angel  left  him  the  man  trembled  because 
he  thought  of  the  selfishness  that  really  controlled  his 
life ;  of  the  unworthy  things  he  had  thought  and  spoken 
and  wrought  out  in  deeds  and  habits.  And  he  felt 
grieved  that  the  child  should  have  felt  the  influence  of 
his  innermost  character,  although  she  could  not  know 
anything  about  the  cause  of  the  momentary  repulsion 
that  she  felt. 

"  And  he  bowed  before  God — in  silence  at  first.  And 
then  he  prayed  for  awhile  and  closed  his  prayer  by  say- 
ing :  '  And  may  the  words  of  my  mouth  and  the  medita- 
tions of  my  heart  be  always  acceptable  in  Thy  sight, 
O  Lord,  my  Strength  and  my  Redeemer.' 

"  Scarcely  had  he  set  himself  to  his  desk  when  the 
door  opened  softly  and  his  child  came  in.  There  was  a 
sweet  smile  on  her  face  as  she  said :  '  How  bright  the 
room  is,  papa !  And  the  air  is  as  if  lilies  and  roses  had 
been  blooming  here.' 

"  This  is  only  a  parable.  But  in  it  is  the  hiding  of 
a  great  truth  concerning  personal  character  and  thought 
atmosphere.  Blessed  is  the  one  who  can  say,  with 
Paul :  ^  I  live,  and  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me.'  " 

Then  there  is  the  atmosphere  of  a  presence.  In  "  The 
Tale  of  Two  Cities,"  Charles  Dickens  sets  down  the 
things  that  provoked  the  French  Revolution.  There 
was  an  unnecessary  insolence  of  the  rich,  the  insulting 
parade  of  wealth,  a  reckless  disregard  for  the  life  of 
the  poor. 

This  same  thought  is  brought  out  in  Robert  Louis 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     115 

Stevenson's  "  The  Amateur  Emigrant."  The  writer, 
Mr.  Stevenson,  crossed  the  ocean  in  the  second  cahin  of 
an  ocean  steamer.  He  spent  most  of  his  time  in  the 
steerage.  He  describes  the  supercilious  manner  of  the 
saloon  cabin  passengers.  They  used  to  saunter  down  now 
and  then  on  a  visit  of  curiosity.  Their  manner  was 
the  occasion  of  much  profanity.  Mr.  Stevenson  said  he 
came  to  share  the  common  steerage  feeling  toward  the 
fortunates  of  the  first  cabin. 

Here  is  our  greatest  menace  in  American  life  today, 
the  insolent  atmosphere  of  the  rich.  It  creates  the 
material  out  of  which  comes  our  mob  spirit,  our 
anarchist  tendencies,  and  seeds  of  revolution,  which  some 
day  may  be  more  terrible  than  that  of  the  French 
Revolution. 

What  we  need  to  do  in  this  country  is  to  inculcate 
the  spirit  of  Forbes  Robertson's  play,  "  The  Third  Floor 
Back,  or  the  Servant  in  the  House."  An  atmosphere  of 
interest  and  kindness  of  a  presence  will  change  the 
spirit  of  rebellion  to  one  of  unity  and  co-operation. 
Spread  the  presence  of  good  will  and  thoughtfulness  and 
it  will  neutralize  the  poisonous  action  of  condescension 
and  superciliousness. 

'Note  the  effect  of  a  presence  in  the  household !  The 
atmosphere  into  which  a  baby  is  introduced  has  a  most 
powerful  effect  in  moulding  its  disposition.  We  all 
should  know  that  a  nervous  mother  makes  a  nervous 
child.  A  troubled  mistress  makes  a  troubled  household. 
There  are  parents  who  wear  on  their  children. 
Daughters  improve  when  they  leave  the  circle  of  the 
mother's   over-anxiety,   and   some  sons  develop  faster 


116  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

when  removed  from  the  fathers  who  irritate  them.  Our 
presence  makes  an  atmosphere  of  tremendous  import- 
ance !  "  It  is  a  savour  of  life  unto  life  or  of  death  unto 
death." 

Note  the  atmosphere  of  a  noble-minded  woman.  She 
enters  a  room  where  bad-minded  men  and  women  are, 
where  the  talk  has  been  perilous,  or  saturated  with  a 
double  meaning,  which  is  the  first  step  of  corruption, 
and  instantly  it  seems  as  if  a  restraining  hand  was  laid 
upon  all,  and  her  very  looks  and  manner  exhale  the 
sanctity  of  life.  Instantly  the  current  of  conversation 
is  changed  and  the  atmosphere  clarified. 

Think  of  the  fast  man  of  society!  There  is  an  ex- 
halation of  evil  about  him,  which  goes  before  him  and 
announces  his  coming  words  and  actions.  His  smile  is 
fascinating,  his  speech  bright  and  witty,  and  while  there 
is  yet  no  outward  sign  of  corruption,  yet  the  pure  in- 
stinctively feel  an  evil  presence  is  near. 

Some  strangers  that  you  meet,  instantly  impress  you 
that  they  are  producers.  They  make  a  positive  aggres- 
sive impression,  and  you  feel  their  qualification  for 
leadership.  Roosevelt's  atmosphere  was  always  one  of 
vigour  and  integrity,  and  you  felt  the  impress  of  a  man 
who  was  doing  things.  Other  persons  made  a  weak, 
negative  impression  upon  you,  and  you  felt  that  they 
were  almost  failures  in  life. 

The  atmosphere  of  an  audience  is  of  great  interest 
in  the  making  or  unmaking  of  a  speaker.  A  score  of 
men  in  church  Sunday  morning,  loving  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  make  a  great  generator  of  power  for  the  pastor, 
and  he  will  be  electrified  by  their  buttressed  power. 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     117 

A  responsive  audience  makes  a  responsive  speaker. 
There  is  an  atmosphere  in  an  audience  that  makes  for 
the  refrigerating  business  and  packs  the  lecturer  away 
for  keeps,  so  that  he  is  in  a  torrid  mental  zone,  instead 
of  the  tropics  of  thought.  The  great  speaker  is  made 
as  much  by  his  audience  as  he  is  by  his  carefully  pre- 
pared material. 

The  atmosphere  of  a  clerk  or  customer  is  one  of  great 
interest  to  us  all,  because  of  the  practicality  of  the 
subject.  Who  has  not  seen  an  indifferent  clerk,  heed- 
less of  the  customer,  talking  to  another  clerk  and  slowly 
coming  forward  in  a  condescending  way  to  wait  upon 
you.  How  often  we  have  left  the  store  without  purchas- 
ing as  we  intended  because  of  discourteous  treatment! 
And  how  often  the  customer,  bustling,  arrogant,  super- 
cilious, has  left  a  sting  in  the  heart  of  a  clerk,  which 
makes  for  red-blooded  socialism  in  our  country. 

Then  again  there  is  the  atmosphere  of  the  home. 
What  a  change  would  come  over  the  home,  if  each  mem- 
ber tried  to  please  every  other  member.  What  more 
beautiful  spot  than  a  home  in  which  parents  and 
children  vie  together  in  work  of  kindness  and  good 
cheer. 

There  are  too  many  homes  directly  the  opposite  of 
this.  You  have  seen,  perhaps,  nitro-glycerine  factories 
out  in  the  woods,  where  men  go  tip-toeing  about  for  fear 
some  noise  or  jar  would  create  an  explosion.  In  how 
many  families  do  mothers  and  children  go  tip-toeing 
around  for  fear  of  arousing  or  crossing  a  tired  and 
quick-tempered  father? 

How  the  home  could  be  changed  by  the  daughter 


118  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

giving  the  mother  a  little  more  careful  consideration! 
One  of  the  most  helpful  things  about  the  organization 
known  as  the  King's  Daughters,  was  the  emphasis  placed 
upon  the  ministry  of  the  home. 

How  the  wrinkles  of  care  could  be  ironed  out  by  the 
thoughtf ulness  of  sons  in  the  home !  Mother  needs  that 
care  and  caress;  that  thoughtf  ulness  that  lightens  her 
burdens  and  makes  a  tonic  of  joy  in  her  heart.  Let  the 
children  get  away  from  the  March  winds,  to  the  June 
zephyrs,  and  peace  and  joy  come  that  lengthen  life  and 
give  abounding  health. 

We  should  move  through  our  homes,  like  a  band  of 
magnificent  music,  giving  out  melody  and  pleasure  on 
all  sides.  This  is  the  atmosphere  that  brings  sweetness 
and  fills  the  air  of  the  home  with  wonderful  perfmne. 

And  then,  we  have  the  atmosphere  of  indifference. 
Some  one  has  said :  "  We  are  not  preaching  heresy  so 
much  today,  as  we  are  living  it."  Of  the  many  evils 
of  the  hour,  the  greatest  of  all  in  many  respects  is 
indifference.  We  can  fight  the  enemy  who  will  fight; 
we  can  overcome  obstacles  and  tunnel  through  difficul- 
ties, but  the  atmosphere  of  indifference  kills  and  withers 
all  movements  and  plans  of  life. 

Paul  got  the  defeat  of  his  life,  not  at  Lystro  where 
he  was  stoned,  for  he  built  a  church  there;  not  at 
Thessalonica,  where  he  was  mobbed,  for  he  planted 
a  church  there;  not  at  Philippi,  where  he  was  beaten 
with  rods  and  put  into  the  stocks,  for  he  built  a  church 
there;  not  at  Corinth  and  at  Ephesus,  where  he  was 
persecuted,  for  he  built  churches  there ;  not  at  Jerusalem, 
where  he  was  torn  by  the  mob,  for  he  built  a  church 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     119 

there.  But  it  was  at  Athens,  where  no  violence  "vyas 
shown  him,  but  where  they  were  indifferent. 

Indifference  is  the  curse  of  our  land,  our  business, 
our  churches  and  our  homes.  It  is  the  octopus  extract- 
ing the  power  from  men's  brains  and  spirit  and  body. 
It  is  the  brother  of  self-satisfaction,  and  is  making  up 
the  dry  rot  of  many  a  life.  We  must  arouse  ourselves 
from  this  monster  of  ease  and  sapless  energy,  and  fortify 
ourselves  with  the  tonic  of  interest  and  arousement  for 
all  the  good  things  of  the  kingdom  of  righteousness. 

We  must  push  on  into  the  atmosphere  of  action. 
Nature  abounds  in  dynamic  and  in  static  forces.  The 
dynamic  forces  exhibit  nature  in  her  violent  temper. 
An  electric  thunderbolt  may  give  instant  death.  A 
cyclone  often  brings  destruction  to  a  community. 

But  nature  does  not  always  move  in  such  terrific 
majesty.  She  has  her  pensive  moods.  These,  in 
scientific  terms,  are  called  her  static  forces.  Gravity, 
the  tremendous  astronomic  force  which  holds  together 
the  physical  universe,  is  silent  in  its  operation.  Light 
steals  upon  the  world  like  the  going  abroad  of  a  spirit. 
It  is  more  potent  than  the  convulsions  of  the  elements ; 
it  is  the  first  condition  of  life.  It  is  the  light  of  the 
sun,  with  its  vitalizing  energy,  that  paints  the  blush 
upon  the  apple,  the  bloom  upon  the  rose  and  royal 
purple  upon  the  grape. 

There  are  times  that  call  for  men  of  great  dynamic 
force.  Out  of  this  necessity  came  Luther,  Cromwell, 
Beecher,  Wendell  Phillips  and  Marshal  Foch.  These 
men  are  the  product  of  the  whirlwind  and  the  storm. 
They  are  the  leaders  of  great  movements. 


120  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

There  is  another  class  of  men  in  whom  the  static 
elements  predominate.  Such  were  Lincoln,  Emerson, 
Phillips  Brooks  and  now  President  Wilson.  They  are 
the  companions  of  the  quiet  hour,  when  the  soul  would 
rise  above  the  temporal,  and  fix  its  gaze  upon  eternal 
truth.     They  are  seers  in  action. 

The  dynamic  and  the  static  force  appear  in  varying 
proportions  in  every  human  soul.  The  dynamic  force 
in  nature  answers  to  that  influence  which  man  exerts 
by  voluntary,  conscious  effort.  The  static  force  answers 
to  that  influence  which  is  exerted  unconsciously.  Man 
achieves  certain  results  by  a  positive  exercise  of  his 
will ;  but  his  greater  influence  proceeds,  not  from  what 
he  does,  but  from  what  he  is.  Man  moves  his  fellows 
consciously  by  his  achievements  and  unconsciously  by 
his  character. 

"  Character  is  a  static  force.  It  shines  by  its  own 
inner  and  spiritual  light.  Genuine  worth  is  self-reveal- 
ing. It  is  the  secret  of  leadership.  Without  flourish  of 
trumpets  such  persons  give  evidence  that  they  are 
ordained  by  the  Almighty  to  stand  for  a  principle." 

"  It  is  said  that  Michael  Angelo  when  at  work  placed 
a  lighted  candle  on  his  cap,  that  his  shadow  might  not 
fall  upon  his  work.  How  the  shadows  of  self  mar  the 
pictures  that  we  try  to  paint!  How  they  obscure  the 
angel  which  we  try  to  chisel  from  the  block  of  marble ! 
How  selfishness  dwarfs  the  character !  " 

Unconscious  influence  is  so  truly  the  reflection  of 
character,  it  is  strange  that  men  so  often  deceive  them- 
selves in  trying  to  deceive  others.  IN'o  man  ever  inspired 
confidence  by  persistently  trying  to  raise  himself  by  his 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     121 

own  boot-straps.  He  "  doth  protest  too  much."  He 
really  passes  for  what  he  is  worth,  and  there  can  be 
no  luck  in  this  moral  equation. 

By  your  unobtrusive  and  uncompromising  loyalty  to 
truthj  in  store  and  street,  by  which  you  show  to  men 
that  business  and  religion  are  synonymous;  by  that 
patient  and  self-sacrificing  gentleness  whereby  you  may 
charge  the  atmosphere  of  your  home  with  the  spirit 
that  dwelt  in  the  breast  of  Christ  who  came  not  to  be 
ministered  unto,  but  to  minister,  and  by  the  linking 
in  the  young  lives  of  the  schoolroom,  or  in  the  nursery 
with  that  young  Boy's  life  that  was  lived  beyond  the 
hills  of  Galilee  so  long  ago ;  by  the  simple  singing  at  the 
cradle-side  some  echo  of  the  angel's  hymn  concerning 
the  Saviour  which  is  Christ  the  Lord,  you  may  throw 
out  an  atmosphere  of  action  that  shall  fling  its  benedic- 
tion through  many  generations.  Let  our  atmosphere 
transmit  and  interpret  the  Christ  life,  then  it  can  be 
said  of  us :  ^'  He  never  trafficked  in  the  false  commerce 
of  a  truth  unfelt." 

There  is  the  atmosphere  of  suggestion.  We  are  in 
need  of  the  best ;  we  often  get  the  poorest.  Constructive 
suggestion  is  the  goal  of  magnificent  achievement.  A 
great  writer  has  said :  "  The  chief  want  in  life  is  some- 
body who  shall  make  us  do  the  best  we  can." 

If  we  study  the  art  of  Rubens,  we  shall  see  the  definite 
influence  exerted  upon  him  by  two  women  of  different 
temperaments.  His  first  wife  was  a  woman  of  culture 
and  refinement  and  exerted  upon  the  artist  an  influence 
of  wholesome  restraint.  It  was  during  her  life  that 
he  painted  his  great  masterpiece :  "  The  Descent  from 


122  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

the  Cross."  Four  years  after  her  death  he  married 
Helen  Fourment.  He  chose  her  from  the  middle 
classes,  so  she  would  not  hlush  to  see  him  handle  a 
brush  of  paint.  The  effect  upon  his  art,  every  one 
knows.  His  wife  appears,  clothed  or  nude,  as  saint  or 
courtesan. 

An  artist  one  time  presented  an  Oxford  under- 
graduate with  an  engraving  of  Hoffman's  Christ. 
"  Hang  this  in  your  room,"  he  said,  "  and  it  will 
banish  the  ballet  girls  and  the  jockeys." 

Destructive  suggestion  has  its  most  terrible  atmos- 
phere in  the  bad,  sensual,  evil  records  of  the  press, 
picture  shows,  bill-boards  and  manners  of  evildoers. 
A  lifting  of  the  eyes;  a  slight  tossing  of  the  head;  a 
slight  movement  of  the  mouth,  tells  the  story  of  evil 
atmosphere  that  makes  for  the  downfall  of  many  a 
person  in  this  world. 

There  is  the  atmosphere  of  a  voice.  It  is  as  im- 
portant as  the  face  in  telling  the  secret  of  its  owner's 
life.  Character  analysis  can  most  always  be  made 
from  the  hearing  of  the  voice  in  its  daily  tasks.  The 
high  pitched  voice;  the  scolding  voice;  the  whining 
voice ;  the  rough  voice,  tells  the  story  of  the  life  behind 
it.  How  quickly  such  a  voice  can  stir  the  household, 
the  office,  the  shop,  the  neighbourhood !  The  atmosphere 
can  become  charged  quickly  with  a  coming  tempest, 
that  may  be  cyclonic  in  its  effects. 

How  much  there  is  in  the  pleasant  tone !  The  habit 
of  gentle  speech  may  be  acquired  as  readily  and  quickly 
as  the  habit  of  nagging,  or  scolding,  and  what  a  differ- 
ence it  makes  in  the  family,  the  shop,  the  store !    Watch 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     123 

the  atmosphere  of  your  voice !  It  is  the  forerunner  of 
all  good,  or  all  evil. 

Then,  there  is  the  atmosphere  of  speech.  A  word 
is  a  wonderful  thing.  Christ  was  called  the  "  Word," 
— communicating — hence  words  are  spirit  and  life. 
A  word  is  a  bridge  that  connects  one  mind  with  another, 
or  a  window  through  which  one  mind  looks  into  another. 
It  has  great  potentialities  in  it.  It  may  soothe,  inspire, 
educate  and  give  the  potency  of  life.  It  may  kindle 
passion,  stir  anger,  lead  to  murder  and  make  hell 
out  of  life.  It  has  calmed  the  mob  spirit,  as  when 
Garfield  used  it,  saying :  "  God  reigns,  and  the  govern- 
ment at  Washington  still  lives." 

"  Life  and  death  are  in  the  power  of  speech."  Tell 
no  tales,  for  a  secret  confided  is  usually  a  secret  told. 
Repeat  no  rumour ;  tell  no  scandal ;  give  out  no  gossip. 
^^  If  a  man  among  you  seemeth  to  be  religious  and 
bridleth  not  his  tongue,  this  man's  religion  is  vain." 

"Boys  flying  kites  haul  in  their  white  winged  birds; 
You  can't  do  that  when  you  are  flying  words. 
Things  that  we  think,  may  sometimes  fall  back  dead, 
But  God  himself  can't  kill  them  when  they're  said." 

One  more  new  club  should  be  organized  to  foil  the 
Ananias  Club.  Let  us  call  it :  "  The  Take  Heed  Club," 
and  this  shall  be  the  legend  on  its  seal :  '^  I  said,  I  will 
take  heed  to  my  ways  that  I  sin  not  with  my  tongue." 
This  means  that  you  will  make  an  atmosphere  of  speech 
that  tells  no  dark-lined  story,  or  repeats  anything  that 
harms.     Cauterize  your  speech,  if  need  be,  but  don't 


124  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

defile  it.  Let  it  be  the  atmosphere  of  all  wholesomeness 
and  goodness. 

During  the  recent  world  war,  when  a  band  of  young 
soldiers  were  taking  the  train  to  go  away,  and  all  felt 
one  of  life's  high  moments,  a  man  said :  "  All  the  same, 
when  they  step  aboard  a  transport  for  France,  they 
can  kiss  themselves  good-bye." 

It  would  be  well  alongside  of  the  above  incident  to 
think  of  another  that  occurred  during  the  South  African 
War.  A  telegram  was  received  from  Ladysmith  saying : 
"  A  civilian  has  been  sentenced  by  a  court-martial  to 
a  year's  imprisonment  for  causing  despondency."  The 
trial  brought  out  the  fact  that  the  man  would  walk 
about  and  make  discouraging  remarks  to  the  men  on 
duty.  Had  he  appeared  bearing  arms  as  a  foe,  he 
could  have  been  recognized  and  shot.  But  he  was  not 
an  open  enemy,  just  a  discourager. 

Another  incident  tells  us  that  a  young  Frenchman 
was  decorated  not  for  great  heroism  in  battle,  nor  special 
achievement  in  arms,  but  because  he  was  the  man  who 
had  constantly  encouraged  the  troops.  Such  a  man 
meant  as  much  to  his  comrades  as  an  additional  bat- 
tery. His  speech  had  an  arousing,  stimulating  atmos- 
phere that  helped  them  to  go  over  the  top. 

Then  there  is  the  atmosphere  of  example.  "  They 
are  all  doing  it,"  has  been  the  cry  in  many  quarters  that 
spelled  disaster  in  many  a  life.  The  American  soldier 
set  a  magnificent  example  when  he  refused  any  longer 
to  go  with  the  crowd,  and  retreat  before  the  German 
army,  but  went  forward  in  a  great  counter-attack  which 
turned  the  tide  of  the  war  for  the  Allies.     Our  atmos- 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     125 

phere  through  example  is  sending  many  backward  in 
morals  and  ideals  instead  of  forward.  And  yet,  here 
and  there  some  royal  souls  are  moving  out  into  the  van- 
guard of  mighty  movements  for  the  inculcating  of  fine 
ideals  of  home  and  society. 

Irving  Bacheller  has  given  us  a  very  interesting  story 
of  a  business  man  of  a  little  to^vn  who  sends  his 
daughter,  Lizzie,  to  a  very  fashionable,  expensive  finish- 
ing school.  To  keep  up  with  Lizzie,  his  rival  sends  his 
boy  to  the  most  expensive  university.  In  order  to  keep 
up  with  their  children,  one  father  borrows  money  to 
build  a  home,  and  the  other  mortgages  his  home  for 
an  automobile.  Both  raise  the  price  of  groceries 
again  and  again.  "  It  costs  so  much  to  live,  you 
know." 

All  the  other  girls  in  town  try  to  keep  up  with  the 
girl,  and  the  other  boys  try  to  keep  up  with  the  boy. 
Their  fathers  and  mothers  try  to  keep  up  with  their 
children,  and  the  whole  town  goes  mad  with  climbing, 
greed  and  jealousy.  The  men  are  on  the  verge  of 
bankruptcy;  the  women  are  on  the  verge  of  despair, 
and  all  because  of  trying  "  to  keep  up  with  Lizzie.'' 
It  is  the  boy  and  the  girl  that  get  a  true  vision  of 
afFairs  and  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  and  by  a  new  atmos- 
phere of  example  change  the  condition  of  affairs  in  their 
little  town. 

And  how  about  the  force  of  example  in  our  midst? 
Today  through  example  there  is  a  tendency  to  abandon 
religion  for  morality.  There  is  a  feeling  that  our 
relations  to  our  fellow-men  are  more  important  than 
our  relations  to  God.     Hence  more  yoimg  men   and 


126  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

women  are  seeking  the  social  service  order  than  the 
ministry  or  the  missionary  work  of  the  Church. 

There  is  a  tendency  through  example  to  abandon 
worship  for  "  culture."  The  effect  of  college  and 
university  education  today  is  to  lessen  faith  and  bow 
to  culture.  The  Bible  has  become  to  many  ^^  a  book 
of  antediluvian  fables/'  the  surrender  of  the  spirit 
to  God  as  Father,  to  Christ  as  Saviour,  to  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  Sanctifier  and  the  necessity  of  the  new  birth, 
are  "  thoughts  of  other  days,"  and  culture  is  now  substi- 
tuted for  the  work  of  the  Spirit. 

Correct  creed  is  a  matter  of  small  importance  along- 
side of  correct  conduct.  If  a  man's  heart  is  right  his 
doctrine  need  not  be  too  minutely  looked  into.  But  it  is 
generally  true  that  if  a  man's  creed  is  defective,  his 
conduct  will  soon  be  the  same. 

To  evolve,  we  must  first  of  all  involve  the  Christ 
life,  the  Christ  Truth,  the  Christ  Gospel,  the  Christ 
Book.  Paul  gives  us  the  true  example  when  he  says: 
"  Be  not  conformed  to  this  world ;  but  be  ye  trans- 
formed, by  the  renewing  of  your  mind,  that  ye  may 
prove,  what  is  that  good  and  acceptable  and  perfect 
will  of  God."  Some  old  professors  are  worth  heeding 
today. 

'Now  is  the  time  to  create  a  militant  atmosphere. 
Now  is  the  time  to  act;  the  time  to  score;  the  time  to 
speak.  The  literature  of  denunciation  has  become  a 
drug  on  the  market.  But  the  man  who  will  lead  the 
way  to  strong  militant  action,  to  a  fine  Christian  at- 
mosphere for  the  Church,  the  business  world,  for  society, 
is  wanted.     Moses  the  man  of  peace,  must  now  give 


ATMOSPHERE  OF  A  PERSONALITY     127 

way  to  Elijah.  Christianity  began  as  a  fighting  re- 
ligion. It  came  as  a  fire  and  a  sword,  and  with  judg- 
ment. It  must  not  pass  through  a  transition  that  robs  it 
of  its  spirit  of  aggressiveness,  and  makes  it  conform 
to  the  world.  It  must  place  its  Christ  at  the  head  of 
every  enterprise;  its  Church  before  every  lodge,  club 
and  social  gathering;  its  service  before  all  men,  and 
challenge  the  world  to  a  contest  for  the  supremacy  of 
mankind. 


VII 

THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND 

"  TT^  E  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your 
IJ  mind/'  is  a  concise  stataement  of  the  chemistry 
of  the  mind  found  in  the  Bible.  "  The  key 
to  every  man  is  his  thoughts/'  is  Emersonian  philosophy, 
and  "  Thoughts  are  things/'  is  the  cry  of  up-to-date 
science.  "  As  the  lamp  to  the  electric  current ;  as  the 
flame  to  the  fire;  as  the  sunbeam  to  the  sun;  as  the 
Word  of  God  to  the  Spirit  of  Grod,  so  is  the  body  to 
the  mind,  and  the  mind  to  the  spirit." 

The  chemist  to  produce  a  certain  effect,  puts  together 
by  precise  weight  or  measurement  certain  materials. 
There  is  no  uncertainty  about  it;  he  knows  what  will 
result  from  the  combination.  Some  of  the  effects  are 
very  mild,  a  little  effervescence;  some  are  most  star- 
tling, explosive  in  power  and  destructive  in  effect. 

The  mind  is  a  chemist  and  produces  many  results 
from  its  thinking  combinations.  Some  of  these  are  con- 
structive ;  some  of  them  are  destructive.  "  Thoughts 
are  causative.  Everything  we  do  is  first  done  mentally. 
It  is  not  possible  for  acts  to  be  done  in  any  other  way 
than  as  a  result  of  our  thinking.  We  are  the  husband- 
men of  our  own  moral  harvests,  the  sculptors  of  our 
own  lives,  the  painters  of  our  own  characters,  the  makers 

128 


THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND       129 

of  our  own  destinies/'   and  the  builders  of  our  own 
bodies. 

One  of  the  leading  scientists  of  our  country  declares 
that  the  tiny  cell,  which  is  the  unit  of  all  organisms, 
is  an  embodied  bit  of  mind.  If  this  is  true,  then  we 
must  use  the  mind  for  making  the  body  strong,  and 
the  mind  can  do  it,  because  to  get  life  and  power  to 
the  thinking  cell,  is  to  make  it  do  the  most  effective 
work  for  the  body. 

"  Mind  is  the  Master  power  that  moulds  and  makes. 
And  Man  is  Mind,  and  evermore  he  takes 
The  tool  of  Thought  and  shaping  what  he  wills. 
Brings  forth  a  thousand  joys,  a  thousand  ills. 
He  thinks  in  secret,  and  it  comes  to  pass, 
Environment  is  but  his  looking  glass." 

Paul's  great  solicitude  is  for  the  inner  man.  If  he 
can  only  get  that  strengthened  he  feels  that  all  is  to 
be  well.  And  he  is  right.  The  inner  man  is  the 
metropolis,  the  capital;  all  the  states  take  their  tone 
from  there.  If  there  be  health  in  the  capital,  there 
will  be  health  in  the  state.  If  there  be  health  in  the 
mind,  there  will  be  health  in  the  body.  "  As  a  man 
thinketh  in  his  heart  so  is  he."  This  does  not  mean 
that  a  single  thought  transforms  a  man,  but  it  does 
mean  that  prevailing  states  of  mind  register  them- 
selves bodily  and  morally  in  man.  Paul  gives  a  great 
philosophy  and  a  modern  one,  when  he  says :  "  Whatso- 
ever things  are  just,  true,  pure,  honourable,  and  are 
of  good  report,  think  on  these  things."  That  is,  "  pas- 
ture your  mind  on  them  just  as  you  send  your  cow  into 


130  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

tlie  clover  field  when  you  want  her  to  give  good  milk." 
Morhid  conditions  of  mind  mean  after  awhile,  morbid 
conditions  of  body ;  healthful  conditions  of  mind,  mean 
healthful  conditions  of  body.  The  body  is  apt  to  be 
the  general  expression  of  past  thinking. 

Mental  vaccine  then  makes  a  heaven  or  a  hell,  for  the 
body.  Thought  gave  Milton  his  "  Paradise "  and 
Dante  his  "  Hell."  By  the  habit  of  thinking,  then,  we 
make  or  unmake  ourselves.  Whatsoever  we  think, 
chemicalizes  into  lights  or  shadows;  into  harmonies  or 
discords;  into  strength  or  weakness;  into  health  or 
disease. 

Thought,  then,  rules  us  physically.  In  the  Word 
we  read :  "As  I  thought,  so  it  came  to  pass."  The 
whole  world  then,  was  a  thought  first  in  the  mind 
of  God.  "  Things  first  were  thoughts,"  we  are  told. 
This  world  is  the  materialization  of  the  mind  of  God. 
And  the  body  of  man,  to  a  great  extent,  is  the  materiali- 
zation and  chemicalization  of  the  mind  of  man. 

"  As  the  plant  springs  from  the  seed,  so  every  part 
of  man's  physical  power  springs  from  the  hidden  seed 
of  thought  in  his  mind."  As  the  house,  the  chair,  the 
automobile,  had  its  origin  in  the  mind  of  man  first,  so 
our  body  is  made  strong  or  weak  by  our  thinking.  In 
the  armoury  of  our  thought  we  forget  the  weapons  by 
which  we  destroy  our  physical  efficiency,  or  fashion  the 
tools  by  which  we  build  ourselves  strong  and  grand;  a 
temple  in  which  the  spirit  is  to  dwell. 

"  Good  thoughts  and  actions  can  never  produce  bad 
results.  Bad  thoughts  and  actions  can  never  produce 
good  results.     Nothing  can  come  from  corn  but  com; 


THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND       131 

nothing  from  nettles  but  nettles."  If  we  wiU  give 
more  attention  to  inward  thinking,  we  will  get  much 
better  outward  conduct  of  body.  The  effects  of  health 
do  not  begin  in  the  chemistry  of  the  body,  but  in  the 
laboratory  of  the  mind. 

Disease  and  health,  like  circumstances,  are  rooted 
in  thought.  Sickly,  weakly  thoughts,  will  express  them- 
selves through  a  sick  and  weak  body.  If  you  would 
protect  your  body,  guard  your  mind.  If  you  would 
renew  your  body,  renew  your  mind. 

Every  cell  gets  a  life  or  death  impulse  from  every 
thought  that  enters  the  mind,  for  we  tend  to  grow 
to  the  image  of  that  which  we  think  about  most  and 
love  the  best.  Our  body  is  really  our  moods,  convic- 
tions, thoughts,  objectified,  made  visible  to  the  eye. 
Bodies  are  thought-builded  and  thought-destroyed. 

It  should  be  said  that  the  influence  of  the  mind  over 
the  body  is  not  absolute,  for  if  it  was,  every  time  you 
expected  to  die,  you  would  die,  and  every  time  you  ex- 
pected to  get  well,  you  would  get  well.  Thus,  one  might 
commit  suicide  by  a  mental  state.  God  has  safeguarded 
us  here.  It  is  our  habitual  thinking  and  not  our 
occasional  thinking,  that  makes  or  unmakes  us  in  life. 

It  is  being  discovered  also  today  that  good  thinking 
makes  curative  remedies  within  one's  self.  Some 
physicians  are  claiming  that  the  body  has  the  power 
of  natural  diagnosis,  and  that  when  disease  impends, 
special  antidotal  ferments  are  formed  and  thrown  into 
the  circulation  to  counteract  the  threatening  conditions 
of  the  body.  They  also  claim  that  the  only  curative 
drugs  are  those  of  the  body's  own  making.     This  is 


132  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

only  another  way  of  admitting  the  work  of  the  mind 
in  the  body,  through  chemicalized  mental  serums. 

In  many  desolate  parts  of  the  deserts  of  our  country 
"we  come  upon  beautiful  palms,  springing  out  of  rocky 
soil.  They  have  beauty  and  stand  as  sentinels  of  na- 
ture's possibilities  where  no  deciduous  tree  can  live. 
They  are  "  endogens  " — they  grow  from  within.  Their 
life  sap  is  not  found  in  a  thin  layer  of  external  bark, 
exposed  to  injury  of  fire  and  heat,  but  their  fibre  is  from 
the  heart,  and  here  they  get  their  nourishment. 

"  Within  are  the  issues  of  life."  Here  is  our  greatest 
source  of  life  and  power.  The  without  does  have  power 
over  us,  but  not  so  much  as  the  power  within.  This 
power  within  we  can  control  and  make  big  with  com- 
ing results  of  life. 

In  your  thinking,  as  far  as  possible,  think  health 
and  strength  for  your  physical  needs.  To  think  weak- 
ness and  disease,  is  to  attract  these  to  you,  for  you  go 
the  way  you  face  with  your  mind.  Whenever  you 
desire  and  resolve  for  health,  you  take  a  step  towards 
it,  and  are  coming  nearer  the  goal  you  seek.  Try  and 
think  health  more  than  disease,  and  you  are  bound 
to  bring  about  the  favourable  conditions  that  make  for 
strength  and  health. 

Religious  teaching  has  been  apt  to  ignore  the  body. 
This  has  been  a  mistake.  Memory  and  conscience  are 
no  more  a  divine  gift  than  are  the  muscles.  It  is  as 
wicked  to  sin  against  the  stomach  as  it  is  to  sin  against 
the  judgment.  It  is  as  much  a  matter  of  duty  to  keep 
the  blood  pure  as  it  is  the  imagination. 

A  cross  man  is  an  ungodly  man.     Surliness  is  one 


THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND       133 

form  of  impiety.  Now,  when  a  man's  nerves  are  on 
fire  with  neuralgia,  his  muscles  wrung  with  rheumatism, 
his  stomach  possessed  with  the  devil  of  dyspepsia,  he 
is  in  a  strait- jacket  of  temptation.  Evil  has  him  at  a 
disadvantage.     He  fights  against  odds. 

I  sometimes  think  it  is  almost  scriptural  to  say  that 
if  some  men  do  not  change  their  course,  that  their 
bodies  will  rise  up  in  the  judgment  and  condemn  them. 
It  will  tell  of  its  wrongs;  how  it  was  cramped  and 
pinched  and  misused.  It  will  tell  how  it  was 
overworked;  how  it  was  burnt  with  fevers  that 
might  have  been  avoided,  and  flung  into  great 
cauldrons  of  lust  and  passion.  It  is  scriptural  to 
say :  "  Know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  the  temple 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  in  you  ?  If  any  man  defile 
the  temple  of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy;  for  the 
temple  of  God  is  holy,  which  temple  ye  are." 

Thought  rules  us  mentally.  We  are  mind  more  than 
body.  And  the  library  is  greater  than  the  kitchen, 
the  worker  than  the  instrument,  the  player  than  the 
organ,  the  mind  than  the  body.  Every  man  owes  it  to 
his  mind  to  accord  it  as  much  thought  and  care  as  his 
body.  If  you  go  to  the  market-place  to  select  the  best 
that  can  be  found  there  for  the  body — why  not  as  much 
for  the  mind?  It  is  the  mind  that  gives  the  body  its 
best  service  and  happiness.  It  is  the  mind  that  is 
enlarging  the  man. 

We  know  that  the  eye  has  been  lengthened  by  the 
telescope;  the  ear  by  the  telephone;  the  foot  by  the 
auto;  thought  by  the  wireless,  and  the  spirit  by  telepa- 
thy.    No  matter  which  way  we  look,  we  see  that  man 


134  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

has  been  enlarged  by  the  appliances  of  his  mind.    Well 
does  Browning  say : 

"  0  Thou    ...    as  represented  here  to  me 
In  such  conception  as  my  soul  allows. 
Under  Thy  measureless,  my  atom  width! 
Man's  mind,  what  is  it  but  a  convex  glass 
Wlierein  are  gathered  all  the  scattered  points 
Picked  out  of  the  immensity  of  sky, 
To  reunite  there,  be  our  heaven  for  earth. 
Our  known  unknown,  our  God  revealed  to  man?  " 


All  realize  that  the  human  mind  has  hidden  chambers 
and  unexplored  regions  of  tremendous  value.  Diamonds 
of  thought  scintillation  are  there ;  the  gold  of  utility  is 
there;  the  iron  of  strength  is  there;  the  currency  of 
circulation  is  there.  It  has  never  been  adequately 
worked  or  mined.  But  concentrated,  arousing 
thoughts;  earnest,  drilling  attention  will  mine  this 
treasure  for  us.  Continued  mining  brings  forth  new 
things.  We  bring  into  our  presence,  or  we  go  into 
the  presence  of  whatever  we  fix  our  thoughts  upon.  To 
think  definitely,  clearly,  is  to  transform,  is  to  build. 

To  change  the  figure,  our  thoughts  are  like  roots 
which  reach  out  in  every  direction  into  the  mental 
soil  of  all  life,  all  energy  and  all  power.  They  bring  the 
vigour  of  new  life  from  all  directions. 

We  must  be  careful  what  we  think  and  where  we 
think.  For  thoughts  do  difi^erent  things.  They  gave 
our  fathers  freedom,  our  neighbours  serfdom.  They 
gave  Luther  his  liberty,  Guiteau  (Garfield's  murderer) 


THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND       135 

his  death.     Our  mental  powers  give  us  what  we  com- 
mand them. 

"  And  good  may  ever  conquer  ill. 
Health  walk  where  pain  has  trod ; 
As  a  man  thinketh,  so  is  he ; 
Else,  then,  and  think  with  God." 

It  is  realized  that  the  mind  that  functions  well  in 
life,  has  several  elements  that  ought  to  be  noted.  It 
desires  to  know,  to  feel,  and  must  resolve.  Knowing  is 
discerning,  collecting,  classifying  and  systematizing 
what  it  gets.  Feeling  is  the  motive  power  that  makes 
for  expression  and  action  is  working  out  the  light,  the 
power  within,  into  outward  forms  of  value  to  the  world's 
need.  Thought  by  itself  makes  no  poet,  no  writer, 
no  worker  of  value.  Put  into  action,  it  has  increasing 
value  of  utility.  From  ihese  functions  of  the  mind  to 
feel,  to  think,  to  will,  we  get  certain  practical  hints 
as  to  what  we  must  do  with  our  mind. 

Command  attention !  Command  the  faculties  to  give 
heed  to  your  desires.  Let  them  focus  their  thought 
upon  the  goal  to  be  reached.  This  fixes  the  mind  upon 
a  certain  thing,  and  superficial  thinking  goes,  and  all 
thoughts  are  ripened  and  stimulated  for  the  forward 
movement  of  the  mind.  As  long  as  there  is  lawlessness 
within,  the  output  cannot  be  worth  much.  Too  often 
our  forces  within  are  fighting  each  other  from  lack  of 
unity,  and  this  inner  antagonism  is  the  source  of  failure. 
When  most  of  man's  vitality  is  used  to  put  down  a  riot 
in  his  mind,  he  is  at  a  disadvantage  in  all  his  thought 
and  work,  and  is  in  confusion  of  plan. 


136  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Attention  begins  the  building  process  of  our  mental 
mansion.  It  sees  the  material;  directs  the  faculties  to 
begin  operations,  and  lays  the  foundation  of  all  mental 
success. 

Command  concentration!  It  is  the  secret  of  brain 
building  as  related  to  the  intellect.  Concentration  is 
engraving  more  deeply  upon  the  mind  the  thoughts 
which  we  desire  to  emerge  from  it  clear  and  distinct. 
It  is  underscoring  the  thing  we  desire  to  emphasize. 

The  tree  gets  its  strength  for  development  from 
within ;  its  material  from  which  it  builds  its  form,  from 
without.  And  concentration  is  an  organized  centre  in 
the  mind  of  man,  which  is  bringing  together  the  powers 
therein,  and  fusing  them  together,  making  the  power 
that  lights,  fuses  and  drives  the  machinery  of  the 
mental  faculties  at  full  speed. 

It  takes  time!  Yes,  but  that  should  not  discourage 
us.  To  train  a  steed  takes  time ;  to  prepare  for  a  race 
requires  hard  practice ;  to  become  an  expert  in  thinking, 
requires  repeated  concentration.  The  brain  cells  re- 
spond to  such  kind  of  work  and  give  back  greater 
dividends. 

The  trouble  with  most  men  is  that  their  mental 
geography  is  wrong;  their  mental  movement  is  slow, 
eddying  aimlessly  about  in  the  stream  of  life.  They  are 
mental  tramps,  and  therefore  only  get  mental  handouts. 
They  have  no  mental  destination,  and  they  therefore 
have  no  mental  rewards.  Such  need  a  new  "  menti- 
culture."  Concentration  is  more  intensive  farming  of 
the  mind. 

Command  expression !     Through  expression  of  the 


THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND       137 

mind  we  are  assembling  the  elements  of  creation  into 
the  forms  of  materialization.  And  our  expression  must 
be  good  to  get  good  forms.  Everything  in  the  world 
that  is  called  evil  is  simply  the  answering  of  the  universe 
to  wrong  thinking;  to  wrong  expression.  Thinking 
must  be  good  in  order  to  create  the  good  expression  of 
life. 

"  Have  you  ever  stopped  to  think  how  thoughts  feel 
inside  your  mind  1  Some  are  satisfying  as  bread  ;  some 
fiery  as  pepper;  some  refreshing  as  water;  some  heady 
as  wine;  some  explosive  as  powder;  some  nauseating 
as  mustard  water.  In  the  mind's  storehouse  every 
thought  must  be  kept  sweet  and  clean,  if  we  do  not  want 
to  breed  the  gastritis  of  expression.  The  most  im- 
portant thing  to  me  is  the  weather  in  my  mind." 

Every  day  ought  to  see  us  expressing  our  thoughts  in 
work  that  is  preceded  by  a  period  of  intense,  original, 
constructive  thought.  Such  work  will  do  as  much  for 
the  mind,  as  physical  exercise  every  day  will  do  for  the 
body.  Expression  is  giving  your  best  to  the  world. 
It  is  singing,  talking,  writing,  working  yourself  out  into 
form  for  the  world's  good.  There  is  no  value  to  any- 
thing, until  it  is  given  expression. 

Iron  ore  is  cheap,  and  has  no  great  value  until  col- 
lected, melted  and  run  into  form  of  some  kind.  Then 
it  is  worth  much.  If  into  steel  rails,  it  is  worth  many 
dollars  per  ton.  But  the  same  ore  run  into  watch 
springs,  is  worth  a  number  of  million  dollars  a  ton. 
Man's  mind  run  into  the  activity  of  expression  has  an 
inestimable  value. 

If  you  would  express  a  good  body,  you  must  have  a 


138  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

good  mind.  If  you  would  express  strong  culture,  fine 
business  ability,  you  must  get  the  thought  first.  "  The 
oak  sleeps  in  the  acorn;  the  bird  waits  in  the  egg;  "  the 
engine  lies  in  the  ore ;  the  house  lies  in  the  tree ;  and  in 
the  mind,  lies  the  achievement  of  all  that  is  best  and 
greatest  in  the  world  of  progress  and  solidarity.  If  you 
should  tie  a  cord  to  every  factory,  farm,  shop,  store, 
railway,  college,  ship,  aeroplane,  submarine  and  move- 
ment of  the  age,  it  would  take  you  back  to  the  mind. 

Spiritual  thought  opens  a  man's  mind  to  the  skies. 
There  is  given  us  an  inner  thought,  that  we  may  have  a 
mighty  outer  interpretation.  The  thought  can  be  taken 
up  into  spiritual  air,  and  get  divine  illumination,  and 
be  able  to  give  us  a  twenty-third  Psalm,  and  a  thirteenth 
chapter  of  First  Corinthians. 

We  are  told  that  just  a  few  hours  before  the  birth, 
there  is  a  fully  formed  brain,  but  it  does  not  think;  a 
pair  of  fully  formed  lungs,  but  they  do  not  breathe ;  a 
fully  formed  heart,  but  it  does  not  beat.  They  are  all 
waiting  for  the  kiss  of  another  world,  that  will  rush 
into  the  lungs  and  inflate  them,  close  the  little  trap  in 
the  wall  of  the  heart,  and  start  up  the  circulation  and 
presently  the  little  brain  sees  and  hears,  thinks  and 
acts.  And  the  mind  of  man  is  waiting  the  kiss  of  the 
spiritual  in  order  that  it  may  find  its  true  glory  and 
power  of  expression  in  the  world. 

The  body  may  be  well  developed,  and  the  mind  may 
be  cultivated  up  to  dignity  and  power;  but  if  the  heart 
or  spirit  be  unsanctified,  misdirected,  all  education  and 
all  physical  development  may  be  wrongly  used.  "  Out 
of  the  heart  are  the  issues  of  life."    "  As  he  thinketh  in 


THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND       139 

his  heart  so  is  he."  So  thought  makes  the  spiritual  life 
also.  Until  the  spirit  is  touched  we  are  only  scratching 
the  surface  of  life.  Jesus  impeaches  all  other  philoso- 
phy with  absolute  judgment  when  He  says:  ''From 
within,  out  of  the  hearts  of  men,  proceed  evil  thoughts, 
adulteries,  fornications,  murders,  thefts,  covetousness, 
wickedness,  deceit,  lasciviousness,  an  evil  eye,  blas- 
phemy, pride,  foolishness." 

You  cannot  journey  toward  heaven  when  you  think 
toward  hell,  and  you  cannot  journey  toward  hell  when 
you  think  toward  heaven.  As  long  as  Israel  thought 
toward  Canaan,  she  marched  toward  Canaan.  When  she 
thought  toward  Egypt  and  the  flesh  pots,  she  wandered 
in  the  wilderness.  The  man  who  thinks  toward  his  flesh, 
will  get  a  sensual  life,  and  the  man  who  thinks  toward 
spiritual  life,  will  get  spiritual  life. 

The  scandal  of  science  today  is  the  neglect  of  the 
study  of  the  spiritual.  Men  are  investigating  every- 
thing in  the  universe  to  the  last  detail,  except  their 
own  spirit.  '^  We  have  just  as  much  reason  for  believ- 
ing in  the  spirit  as  in  the  body  and  mind.  All  we 
know  of  either  is  the  phenomena  they  exhibit.  Through 
the  eyes  we  get  light  and  colour;  through  the  ears  we 
get  sound;  through  the  nostrils  we  get  odour;  through 
the  tongue,  taste,  and  through  the  fingers,  touch  and 
resistance.  From  all  these  we  know  of  the  existence 
of  matter.  For  the  same  reason,  we  know  about  the 
mind.  It  analyses,  makes  distinctions,  reasons,  con- 
structs, wills  and  directs.  In  the  same  way  we  argue 
for  the  spirit.  It  has  conscience ;  it  knows  the  difference 
between   right   and   wrong;    it   feels   the   truth;    it   is 


140  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

moved  by  the  reading  of  the  Bible.  All  these  find  your 
spirit." 

Man  is  a  spirit.  All  else  is  secondary  and  incidental. 
"  We  know  that  the  material  world  has  only  a  phe- 
nomenal reality — that  it  exists  only  because  you,  I, 
exist  and  God  exists.  It  has  no  being  in  itself.  Our 
poor  material  brains  have  been  evolved  in  the  midst 
of  things,  and  therefore  we  think  things,  shapes,  solids, 
are  realities.  The  reality  is  YOU.  Seize  the  reality, 
act  on  it,  assume  its  power,  and  the  mountains  will 
stand  aside." 

"  The  human  mind,  gazing  on  its  own  imperfect 
image,  reproduces  and  multiplies  countless  expressions 
of  its  own  type."  But  man  turning  to  his  spirit  and 
gazing  upon  the  perfect  image,  reproduces  spirit  power. 
"  Choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve,"  or  in  other 
words,  whether  to  turn  to  human  tlioughts  and  condi- 
tions that  bring  decay  and  weakness  in  the  end,  or  to 
the  true  and  real  that  brings  perfect  health  and  life 
in  God.  "  Keep  the  spirit  on  top,"  is  the  keynote  to 
successful  achieving  in  life. 

As  long  as  we  direct  our  attention  to  objects  of  sense, 
we  are  looking  downward,  not  upwards.  By  handling 
things  the  right  way,  we  can  turn  them  from  the  wrong 
way.  By  handling  the  serpent,  Moses  turned  it  into  a 
staff.  We  must  watch  the  lawlessness  of  the  mind. 
Just  as  the  filthy  impurity  in  the  water  can  be  removed 
by  the  science  of  chemistry,  so  the  filthiness  of  the  mind 
can  be  cleansed  by  right  thinking. 

"  By  making  use  of  the  spirit  mind,  we  create  a 
nucleus,  which  is  no  sooner  created  than  it  begins  to 


THE  CHEMISTRY  OF  THE  MIND       141 

exercise  an  attractive  force,  drawing  to  itself  material 
of  a  like  character  with  its  own,  aud  if  this  process  is 
allowed  to  go  on,  it  will  continue  until  an  external  form 
corresponding  to  the  nature  of  the  nucleus  comes  out 
into  manifestation  on  the  plane  of  the  conscious  mind." 

We  must  not  forget  the  best  side  of  our  ancestry. 
On  the  side  of  our  mother,  Nature,  we  have  the  abode 
of  the  flesh,  and  the  flesh  is  weak.  But  in  our  Father, 
w^e  have  a  pedigi*ee  of  spirit  which  is  older  than  the 
mountains,  the  stars  or  the  universe.  We  have  come 
from  good  stock;  we  are  scions  of  a  noble  house,  and 
prayer  and  communion  with  our  Father,  will  ditch  and 
irrigate  any  great  worldly  alkali  plains  of  the  mind 
with  the  Water  of  Life,  and  new  life  and  fruitage  will 
be  ours. 

We  need  the  help  of  the  spirit  to  get  the  exaltation 
that  precedes  the  revelation;  and  we  must  have  the 
revelation,  to  get  the  manifestation  and  the  demonstra- 
tion. 

The  divinity  then,  that  shapes  our  end  is  our  thought. 
Thoughts  are  not  mere  harmless,  intangible  entities; 
they  are  secret  forces  and  hidden  motor  powers.  They 
assume  form  and  substance  and  appear  in  words  and 
generate  actions,  and  actions  establish  habits,  and  habits 
establish  character.  "  Right  conduct  as  a  constant  prac- 
tice, right  living  as  a  fine  art,  right  foundations  for  the 
abiding  satisfaction  of  life,  right  results  in  the  moral 
and  religious  arithmetic  of  life,  must  all  start,  con- 
tinue and  end  in  right  thinking." 

The  linear  measure  of  right  is  that  which  is  straight. 
The  right  thing  is  the  straight  thing.    The  right  thought 


142  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

is  the  straight  thought.  The  wrong  thing  is  the  wrung 
thing.  The  wrong  thought  is  the  wrung  thought.  That 
which  is  crooked,  distorted,  out  of  line,  out  of  God's 
straight  line  can  never  be  used  in  right  thinking. 

The  source  of  right  thinking  is  not  in  literature, 
science,  art  or  religion.  Things  are  not  sources  of 
thought.  They  may  be  the  means,  or  the  vehicles  of 
thoughts.  God  is  the  source  of  right  thinking.  To 
think  right  we  must  commune  with  God.  That  mind 
will  get  clearness  which  lives  under  the  beatitude  of 
Christ,  which  says :  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 
for  they  shall  see  God,"  and  which  also  has  the  in- 
junction of  Paul :  "  Have  this  mind  in  you  which  was 
also  in  Christ  Jesus." 


yiii 

THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE 

THE  one  great  religion  of  the  world  is  conscience. 
No  one  denies  its  relation  to  their  creed.  It 
makes  the  only  unity  of  religion.  Here  we  all 
meet,  and  agree  that  there  is  a  conscience  in  our  system 
of  truth. 

Hawthorne,  ShaJ^espeare,  Hugo,  Eliot  and  other 
writers  have  given  us  searching,  profound,  arousing 
stories  on  the  scourgings  of  conscience.  "  The  Scarlet 
Letter,"  ''  Macbeth,''  "  Komola  ''  and  "  Les  Miserables  " 
are  all  vivid  portrayals  of  this  nemesis  in  man. 

Open  the  Bible,  and  you  will  not  find  the  word 
conscience  used  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  its  workings 
are  seen  there.  Adam  and  Eve  were  driven  into  their 
hiding-place  by  the  lashing  of  conscience.  Cain  was 
goaded  by  it  and  said :  "  My  punishment  is  greater  than 
I  can  bear."  It  caused  the  brethren  of  Joseph  to  say: 
''  We  are  verily  guilty  concerning  our  brother."  It 
was  conscience  that  called  those  wonderful  words  of 
humility  from  David,  when  he  said :  ^^  Have  mercy  upon 
me,  O  God.  .  .  .  Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine 
iniquity  and  cleanse  me  from  my  sin." 

In  the  New  Testament  we  have  the  word  conscience 
twenty-nine  times.  Paul  uses  it  twenty-six  times  and 
Peter  three  times.     Nearly  every  phase  of  the  work  of 

143 


144  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

conscience  is  given  to  us  by  these  two  men.  It  is  also 
expressed  by  John  in  the  words :  ^^  That  was  the  true 
light,  which  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the 
world."  And  Jesus  expressed  it  when  He  said :  "  Why, 
even  of  yourselves,  judge  ye  not  what  is  right?"  But 
Paul  gives  us  a  very  good  definition  of  it  when  he  says : 
"  They  show  the  work  of  the  law  written  in  their  hearts, 
their  conscience  bearing  witness  and  their  thoughts  one 
with  another  accusing  or  else  excusing  them." 

What  is  conscience  ?  It  comes  from  "  con "  and 
"  scire,"  to  know  together  with  one's  self.  Break  the 
word  in  two  and  you  have  first  of  all  "  science."  What 
is  science  ?  Knowledge.  Attach  the  "  con."  What 
have  you  now  ?  "  Con,"  is  significant  of  associated  fel- 
lowship. Where  "  con  "  is,  there  is  no  isolation.  Con- 
science, is  knowledge  with;  it  is  the  fellowship  of  in- 
telligences, it  is  the  relationship  of  pupil  and  teacher; 
man  and  God. 

"  Conscience  then,  is  a  medium  in  personality  through 
which  is  transmitted  to  the  soul  the  moral  judgment  and 
imperative  of  Grod."  Conscience  has  been  called: 
"  God  in  man,"  "  the  eye  of  the  soul,"  "  the  taste  of  the 
soul."  Milton-  said  it  was  ^'  God's  secretary  in  man," 
while  Beecher  called  it  "  a  detective  in  man's  soul." 
But  Wesley  does  better  when  he  says :  "  Conscience  is 
a  faculty  or  power  implanted  by  God  in  the  soul  by 
which  every  man  perceives  what  is  right  or  wrong  in 
his  ov^ra  heart  or  life,  in  his  temper,  thoughts,  words 
or  actions."  This  goes  to  the  root  of  the  matter,  in  that 
it  names  God  in  association  with  conscience. 

Hold  to  the  fact,  that  conscience  is  supreme.     "  No 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE        145 

condition  can  depose,  nor  bars  bolt  it  out.  It  is  able 
to  pierce  through  an  armed  battalion,  make  discordant 
the  sweetest  music,  tear  off  any  mask  and  dash  every 
smile  from  the  face.  It  asks  no  authority,  but  is  itself 
authority.  Its  accusations  are  never  noisy,  but  always 
terrible.  It  plants  a  girdle  of  thorns  about  a  man's 
heart  and  holds  it  there.  All  the  opiates  in  the  world 
cannot  quiet  it."  It  \vill  speak  and  man  knows  its 
voice. 

Herod,  who  had  John  the  Baptist  beheaded,  knew 
what  Kant  meant  when  he  said :  "  Two  things  fill  me 
with  ever-increasing  wonder  and  awe,  the  more  I 
ponder  them;  the  starry  heavens  above  me,  and  the 
moral  law  within  me." 

"  Conscience,  in  some  awful,  silent  hour. 
When  captivating  lusts  have  lost  their  power, 
Starts  from  the  down,  on  which  she  lately  slept, 
And  tells  of  laws  despised,  at  least  not  kept; 
Shows  with  a  pointing  finger,  but  no  noise, 
A  pale  procession  of  past,  sinful  joys; 
All  witnesses  of  blessings  foully  scorned. 
And  life  abused,  and  not  to  be  suborned; 
Mark  these,  she  says;  these  summoned  from  afar. 
Begin  their  march  to  meet  thee  at  the  bar; 
There  find  a  Judge  inexorably  just. 
And  perish  there,  as  all  presumption  must." 

Conscience  then  means  self-knowledge.  Just  as  at 
the  top  of  the  great  hills  of  Italy  are  to  be  found  chapels 
for  worship,  so  in  the  heights  of  every  fully  endowed 
man,  there  is  an  instinct  of  obligation,  or  sense  of 
responsibility  which  points  to  a  personal  God. 


146  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

The  highest  aim  of  man  should  be  to  keep  this  self- 
consciousness,  as  a  support  of  strength  for  himself.  It 
is  like  keeping  the  prow  of  the  vessel  toward  the  polar 
star;  regulating  the  watch  with  the  sun;  testing  the 
life  with  the  words  of  Christ.  If  a  man  maintain  his 
self-respect,  it  matters  little  what  his  outward  circum- 
stances may  he.  Garfield  once  said :  ^'  I  am  determined 
to  he  at  peace  with  the  man  with  whom  I  am  obliged  to 
sleep  at  night."  And  the  young  physician  was  right 
when  he  said :  "  I  cannot  do  it.  I  must  live  with  my- 
self.'' 

"  There  is  something  sublime  in  these  purposes. 
It  means  moral  kingship.  On  the  other  hand  to  be  at 
war  with  self,  just  to  live  a  life  which  is  a  perpetual 
lie,  to  be  all  the  while  brooding  over  secret  infamy 
seasoned  with  outward  respectability;  to  have  con- 
tinually to  put  the  world  off  the  scent;  to  mix  sugar  with 
poison;  to  watch  over  every  tone;  not  even  to  have 
a  countenance  of  one's  o^vn,  what  can  be  harder,  more 
like  hell?" 

Paul  arose  through  the  exercise  of  conscience  to  de- 
liverance from  the  offence  of  conscience.  He  was  a 
persecutor  of  the  early  Church  who  verily  thought  he 
ought  to  do  many  things  against  Christianity.  He  him- 
self teaches  us  that  he  needed  pardon,  but  that  mercy 
was  shown  him  because  of  ignorance.  He  did  im- 
mense mischief  while  his  judgment  was  not  corrected. 
But  he  exercised  conscience  until  he  arose  above  the 
laws  of  casuistry  into  the  full  stature  of  the  manhood 
that  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Joseph  Cook  says :   "  Conscience  is  your  magnetic 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE        147 

needle;  reason  is  your  chart.  But  I  would  rather  have 
a  crew  willing  to  follow  the  indications  of  the  needle, 
and  giving  themselves.no  great  trouble  as  to  the  chart, 
than  a  crew  that  had  ever  so  good  a  chart  and  no 
needle  at  all.  Which  is  more  important  in  the  high 
seas  of  passion,  the  needle  Conscience  or  the  chart 
Reason?  We  know  that  it  was  the  discovery  of  the 
physical  needle  that  made  navigation  possible  on  the 
high  seas ;  and  loyalty  to  the  spiritual  magnetic  needle 
alone  makes  navigation  safe  on  the  spiritual  seas. 
When  we  find  a  needle  in  man  through  which  flow 
magnetic  currents  and  courses  of  right,  we  know  there 
is  in  the  needle  something  that  is  not  of  it.  It  is 
conscience.  Give  me  a  Lincoln,  and  I  will  trust  a 
nation's  welfare  to  him.  Give  me  a  Lord  Bacon,  and 
no  purpose  of  doing  the  best  he  knows,  and  I  dare  not 
trust  him." 

Wow,  conscience  is  not  a  law,  but  a  faculty;  not  the 
decision  pronounced  in  a  case,  but  the  faculty  which 
pronounces  the  decision.  Thus  is  it  with  conscience. 
If  this  is  so,  then  you  see  at  once  that  just  as  the  judge 
is  capable  of  instruction  so  is  the  conscience.  Did  not 
Paul  hale  men  and  women  to  prison;  compel  them  to 
blaspheme,  and  even  sear  his  hands  with  blood,  while 
conscience  approved  the  deed  ?  But  when  his  conscience 
was  educated,  instructed,  he  became  a  different  man. 

Conscience  has  been  compared  to  a  clock  and  the  law 
of  Grod  to  the  sun.  The  clock  is  right  only  when  it  keeps 
time  with  the  sun.  So  it  is  with  conscience.  It  is  a 
safe  guide  when  educated  by  the  Word  of  God  and  the 
Spirit  of  God. 


148  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

We  are  accustomed  to  say  that  conscience  has  some- 
thing divine  in  it;  and  that  which  is  divine  does  not 
mislead  us.  But  we  must  also  say  that  conscience  is  not 
infallible;  it  is  erring.  What  effect  Adam's  fall  had 
upon  conscience  is  not  fully  known.  But  we  do  know 
that  when  a  costly  mercurial  barometer  falls  from  its 
support,  no  scientist  longer  trusts  its  indications  as  to 
the  atmosphere.  It  is  still  a  barometer  and  still  re- 
sponds in  a  measure  to  the  weight  of  an  approaching 
storm,  but  it  has  not  absolute  accuracy. 

Even  so  with  conscience.  Is  not  this  what  Paul 
means  when  he  speaks  of  a  ^'  weak  conscience  ''  ?  'Now 
a  weak  conscience  is  not  a  healthy  conscience.  It  is  not 
standard.  What  crimes  have  been  committed  through 
a  weak  conscience !  And  the  Bible  speaks  of  a  "  de- 
filed, blunted,  blinded  and  fallen  conscience."  So  we 
have  scriptural  warrant  for  saying  that  the  conscience 
may  be  seared  as  with  a  hot  iron,  and  cannot  be  trusted 
always,  if  ever,  by  itself. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Androscoggin  River  in  Maine, 
there  was  an  island,  and  on  it  there  lived  a  hermit. 
One  night,  many  years  ago,  twenty  savages  were  sailing 
down  to  surprise  him  and  put  him  to  death.  The  legend 
says  that  he  put  a  light  below  the  deadly  Lewiston  Falls 
that  were  just  beyond  his  island.  The  Indians  think- 
ing the  torch  was  in  his  hut,  rowed  toward  the  light, 
and  all  of  them  were  precipitated  to  death.  The  Indians 
were  in  one  sense  right :  they  wanted  to  land  where  the 
light  was;  but  the  light  was  not  in  the  hut  but  below 
the  falls.  It  is  important  to  know  what  is  true,  and  the 
education  of  the  Bible  can  only  guide  us  aright.    ^'  There 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE        149 

is  a  light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the 
world,"  and  that  light  we  must  have. 

If  we  are  going  to  submit  a  matter  to  the  conscience, 
it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  we  examine  the 
tribunal  itself.  Is  the  court  capable?  Is  it  just  and 
true?  When  we  go  to  conscience,  it  should  be  to  a 
holy  place.  When  we  hear  the  voice  of  conscience,  it 
should  have  the  voice  of  God  in  it.  This  can  only  come 
when  we  have  been  into  the  holy  of  holies  with  God  and 
been  taught  by  Him.  The  conscience  is  educated  by 
the  saving  power  of  Christ,  by  devotion,  by  illumina- 
tion of  the  Spirit  and  by  listening  to  God.  The  vision 
of  Paul  rectified  the  moral  judgment  of  Paul. 

We  must  not  defile  the  conscience.  Take  the  water 
of  some  of  our  rivers  that  flow  through  the  great  cities. 
It  is  not  much  better  than  a  magnified  sewer,  dark  and 
sickening  in  loathsome  odours.  If  you  should  see  the 
river  at  its  sources,  it  would  be  clear,  sweet  and  good 
to  drink.  But  between  the  source  and  the  goal,  dye 
works  and  manufactories  have  poured  out  polluting 
refuse  and  as  a  result,  the  water  in  spite  of  its  original 
quality  has  become  tainted. 

And  so  with  this  divine  faculty,  conscience.  There 
are  those  who  compel  conscience  to  live  in  a  bad  at- 
mosphere, rank  with  vice  and  lust.  No  conscience 
can  retain  its  vigour  in  such  surroundings.  It  cannot 
be  trusted  in  its  work.  No  true  man  wants  his  daughter 
to  grow  up  in  a  defiling  atmosphere.  His  experience 
tells  him  that  she  will  be  ruined  and  despoiled  of  her 
right  of  living  justly  and  nobly  in  this  world.  Why 
defile  the  conscience  that  is  within  you?    It  means  de- 


150  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

basement;  dethroning  the  king  of  life  and  putting  an 
usurper  in  his  place,  who  brings  destruction  to  the  whole 
kingdom  within  and  without. 

Forget  not  that  conscience  can  be  stifled.  If  one  dis- 
obeys it,  presently  God  withdraws  His  grace  and  the 
cry  of  that  voice  becomes  feebler  and  feebler  until  it  is 
scarcely  heard.  Habits  of  sin  and  a  persistent  deaf- 
ness to  God's  grace  deaden  the  voice  of  conscience  and 
woe  to  that  man  who  sins  grievously  without  any  re- 
morse. Let  him  fear  what  God  says :  ^^  I  will  deliver 
them  up  to  the  desires  of  their  heart  " ;  as  He  had  said : 
"  Henceforth,  O  Conscience,  trouble  them  not ;  let  them 
wallow  in  their  iniquity  until  their  days  be  ended,  and 
I  will  cut  them  down  and  they  will  know  that  I  am 
the  Lord  God  who  hates  iniquity  and  loves  justice." 

Here  is  the  truth  of  George  Eliot's  story  of 
"  Eomola.''  Tito  is  brought  forth  as  a  gifted  youth. 
Being  an  orphan  he  is  adopted  by  a  Greek  scholar,  who 
gave  him  all  the  gifts  possible.  Setting  out  for  travel 
in  foreign  countries,  one  night  the  ship  was  overtaken 
by  brigands,  and  Tito  alone  escaped  by  leaping  over- 
board with  precious  jewels  in  his  belt,  expecting  if 
he  escaped  to  come  back  and  ransom  his  foster  father. 
After  arriving  at  Florence  he  stifled  his  conscience  as 
to  his  father  with  the  thought  he  was  dead  and  it 
was  of  no  use  to  seek  him.  He  won  the  heart  and 
hand  of  Romola  and  had  a  place  of  high  renown  among 
the  people  of  the  city.  But  the  stifled  conscience  began 
to  lead  him  into  other  escapades  and  he  moved  on 
toward  his  ruin.  When  the  keystone  goes  from  the 
arch,  the  structure  falls.     One  day  the  foster  father, 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE        151 

a  captive  arrived  in  the  city,  and  escaping  his  guards, 
met  Tito  face  to  face.  Tito  disowned  him,  refused  to 
help  him.  Acts  accumulated  fast  until  one  day  Tito, 
taking  the  rest  of  the  jev^els  that  remained,  planned  to 
leave  the  city  and  all  behind  him.  Coming  to  the 
bridge  he  was  seized  and  to  save  himself  threw  away  his 
belt  of  jewels,  crying:  "  There  is  money!  "  and  in  the 
confusion,  jumped  into  the  river  and  struck  out  down 
the  stream  for  safety.  Being  wearied  with  his  long 
swim  and  seeing  no  pursuit  he  came  up  to  the  bank, 
only  to  be  confronted  by  his  nemesis,  his  father,  who 
had  watched  it  all  from  the  bank  and  who  had  run  along 
beside  the  river.  Tito  exhausted  threw  himself  upon 
the  bank,  and  the  old  man  leaped  upon  him,  bore  him 
to  the  ground  and  choked  him  to  death.  Too  late  he 
awoke  to  the  fact  that  ours  is  a  world  in  which  nature 
and  God  cannot  afford  to  permit  sin  to  prosper.  "  Sin 
wken  it  is  finished  bringeth  forth  death.' ^ 

This  teaches  us  that  in  conscience  lies  the  whole 
hope  of  self-respect,  and  in  self-respect  lies  the  hope 
of  all  government.  'No  bad  man  can  maintain  his  self- 
respect.  A  man  can  be  poor,  ignorant,  unsuccessful  and 
yet  respect  himself.  A  good  man  can  excuse  faults  of 
intellect,  judgment  and  decision,  but  he  cannot  excuse 
the  outrage  of  conscience.  I  must  keep  my  self-respect, 
and  if  I  do  this  I  must  keep  my  conscience.  It  must 
not  be  drowned  out  or  crowded  out;  I  must  give  it  a 
chance  to  utter  its  wisdom  and  direction. 

If  it  pays  to  go  over  the  machine  in  careful  inspection 
before  making  a  trip  in  the  air  to  cross  the  Atlantic, 
and  make  sure  of  all,  so  as  to  avoid  wreck,  so  I  must 


152  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

go  over  the  machinery  of  conscience  to  make  sure  that 
it  is  doing  its  work  perfectly. 

And  the  medium  between  me  and  God  must  not  be 
impaired.  What  a  calamity  to  have  the  telescope  out 
of  repair!  What  dangers  if  the  radio  does  not  work 
properly !  But  greater  the  disaster  when  conscience 
is  deadened,  benumbed,  and  is  given  no  respect  by 
the  mechanician! 

It  is  also  conscience  that  keeps  a  man  sensitive  to 
the  law  that  makes  for  the  life  of  the  spirit.  Con- 
science demands  that  the  first  and  fundamental  con- 
sideration of  any  cause  should  be  a  moral  one.  The 
question  for  a  moral  man  is  not  one  of  expediency,  or 
convenience,  or  propriety,  but  always  one  of  right. 
When  any  other  question  is  put  to  the  fore,  man  thrusts 
away  his  conscience  and  heads  for  the  rocks  of  disaster. 

He  who  enters  into  the  depths  of  his  conscience,  and 
there  muses,  pacing  to  and  fro,  is  more  likely  to  meet 
God,  and  to  understand  the  best  and  greatest  quest  of 
life.  He  who  fastens  his  attention  on  the  uppermost 
ranges  of  law  will  understand  the  lower,  into  which 
the  upper  sink  down  with  supreme  power.  If  a  man 
wants  to  get  the  temperature  of  his  body,  he  uses  a 
thermometer;  if  he  wants  to  know  the  pureness  of  his 
blood,  he  has  a  blood  test.  And  conscience  is  the  self- 
registering  thermometer  of  the  mind  of  man. 

The  man  who  will  not  keep  his  conscience  clear  to  law 
of  right,  and  who  does  not  dare  to  move  out  and  forward 
because  of  the  enemies  he  may  make,  will  find  sterner 
words  than  these  written  of  him  which  Browning  has 
given  to  the  world. 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE       153 

"  Blot  out  his  name,  then,  record  one  lost  soul  more. 
One  task  more  declined,  one  more  footpath  untrod. 
One  more  devil's  triumph,  and  sorrow  for  angels, 
One  wrong  more  to  men,  one  more  insult  to  God ! " 


Self-respect  is  the  hope  of  our  citizenship.  All  good 
governments  originate  in  conscience  and  all  good  gov- 
ernment has  its  primal  support  in  conscience.  It  makes 
a  citizen  that  will  stand  for  the  right.  The  most  danger- 
ous man  in  our  life  today,  is  the  man  who  cares  more 
for  the  respect  of  the  other  man  than  he  does  for  him- 
self. When  a  delegation  called  on  Lord  Macaulay  at 
one  time  with  a  proposition  which  he  could  not  ap- 
prove, during  the  campaign  he  was  making  for  election 
to  Parliament,  he  said :  "  Gentlemen,  it  is  not  at  all 
essential  that  I  go  to  Parliament,  but  it  is  absolutely 
essential  that  I  maintain  my  self-respect." 

The  woe  pronounced  on  a  man  when  all  men  speak 
well  of  him  is  peculiarly  appropriate  for  us  today. 
There  are  movements  running  today  that  cut  square 
across  the  desires  of  some  men.  Such  movements  chal- 
lenge men.  To  avoid  them  because  they  are  not  popular 
with  everybody  is  to  play  the  coward  and  to  be  false 
to  conscience.  The  heroic  appears  in  any  man  when 
he  is  faithful  to  that  better  man  within  him.  It  is  not 
the  hero  of  the  hour  who  earns  the  place  in  history. 
It  is  the  hero  of  a  career,  long  and  hard.  His  name 
may  be  known  and  may  not  be  known.  And  the  stuff 
that  puts  fibre  into  a  man  is  made  by  conscience.  He 
may  be  a  Roosevelt  fighting  the  machine,  or  some  senti- 
nel pacing  steadily  through  peril  all  about  him.     Con- 


154  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

science  is  the  only  power  that  will  keep  the  faith  in  a 
man.  It  is  far  better  to  have  men  in  power  who  have 
little  intellect  and  sensitive  to  right,  than  men  in 
power  who  have  great  intellect  and  no  conscience.  But 
best  of  all  is  it  when  men  in  power  have  both  conscience 
and  intellect.     This  gives  us  the  great  man. 

This  indicates  that  one  of  the  uses  of  conscience  is 
to  bring  men  up  to  their  best.  When  an  artist  finds 
his  colour  sense  jaded,  he  uses  the  sapphire  or  ruby  to 
bring  his  tints  up  to  perfection.  When  the  captain 
at  sea  is  uncertain  as  to  his  whereabouts,  he  takes  his 
calculations.  When  the  pilot  of  the  aeroplane  wants 
to  equalize  his  ship,  he  uses  the  stabilizer,  and  when  sin 
has  soiled  our  instruments,  dulled  our  perception,  con- 
science comes  in  to  freshen  the  ideals  and  smite  vice 
and  vulgarity  and  lead  into  the  paths  of  honesty  and 
virtue. 

Another  use  of  conscience  is  that  it  will  remind  us 
what  we  have  done,  and  meet  us  in  unexpected  places 
of  life.  Hugo  tells  of  a  band  of  marauders  who,  in  a 
former  century,  made  their  living  by  disposing  heirs 
whose  relatives  wished  them  set  aside  without  them- 
selves incurring  the  guilt  of  murder.  In  one  instance 
they  took  the  son  of  a  peer  supposedly  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  a  king.  A  hideous  operation  was  performed 
upon  the  tender  face  of  the  child,  whose  cheeks  were 
cut  so  that  the  mouth  appeared  to  reach  to  the  ears. 
The  boy  was  thereby  put  beyond  the  possibility  of  recog- 
nition. So  irresistible  was  the  sight  of  him  that  he 
became  known  as  "  The  Laughing  Man."  It  suited 
this  wicked  gang  one  day  to  leave  this  child  in  a  deso- 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE        155 

late  place  on  the  English  coast  while  they  embarked 
under  cover  of  the  darkness  for  France.  But  a  storm 
came  up  on  the  sea.  The  cargo  was  thrown  overboard. 
The  ship  was  lightened  by  casting  away  every  weight. 
As  death  looked  them  in  the  face  some  one  cried  out: 
"  Is  there  nothing  else  we  can  throw  overboard  ?  "  Then 
the  doctor  who  had  perforaied  the  operation  on  the 
child,  said :  '^  Yes,  one  thing  more,  our  crime." 

But  they  could  not  throw  it  overboard.  It  would 
never  forsake  them;  it  would  always  be  with  them  to 
remind  them  of  what  they  had  done.  This  was  the 
condition  of  the  brethren  of  Joseph ;  it  is  the  condition 
of  every  wrongdoer — conscience  will  remind  us  what 
we  have  done.  "  While  we  continue  to  be  spiritual  in- 
dividualities, we  must  keep  company  with  the  plan  of 
our  natures.''  "  So  long  as  man  is  man  the  moral 
faculty  is  supreme.  So  long  as  God  is  God  right  will 
be  right,  wrong  will  be  wrong  and  Herod  will  tremble 
at  every  face  that  appears  at  the  window;  at  every 
footfall  coming  down  the  hall  of  the  palace.  When 
you  can  expel  light  from  the  sunbeam  and  leave  it  still 
sunshine,  then,  and  not  till  then,  can  you  exterminate 
conscience  from  the  soul,  without  changing  man's 
spiritual  nature.  You  can  take  away  man's  sight,  his 
hearing,  his  limbs,  his  arms,  but  one  thing  you  touch  at 
your  peril,  and  that  is  God's  angel  that  keeps  the  gate 
of  man's  soul  named  conscience." 

Conscience  was  made  to  be  your  friend.  It  may  up- 
braid, and  denounce  you,  but  it  is  your  friend,  advising, 
directing  you  to  your  best.  It  is  the  sworn  foe  of  sin. 
It  is  a  danger  signal,  sounding  an  alarm.    It  is  like  the 


156  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

fabulous  ring  given  to  a  prince,  whicli  always  pricked 
him  when  he  was  about  to  do  wrong.  Tired  of  its 
constant  admonitions,  at  last  be  threw  it  away,  and 
thus  deprived  of  his  monitor  was  himself  soon  destroyed 
by  evil. 

All  the  things  we  have  said  thus  far,  go  to  prove 
that  conscience  is  verified  by  our  experiences.  Have  we 
a  conscience?  We  have  proven  that.  You  know  that 
somewhere  you  have  sinned.  It  was  in  secret;  it  was 
an  act  and  no  one  knew  it.  It  was  buried  in  your 
heart;  your  exterior  gave  no  sign  of  it.  And  yet,  it 
burned  like  a  cancer.  You  tried  to  forget  it.  But  it 
haunted  you,  and  was  with  you  all  the  time.  There  is 
not  one  of  us  but  what  has  conscience  verified  by  ex- 
perience. 

You  have  seen  paintings  of  persons  whose  eyes  fol- 
lowed you  wherever  you  were  in  the  room.  It  is  thus 
that  those  smitten  with  guilt,  feel;  the  eyes  of  con- 
science are  upon  them.  You  read  now  and  then  of 
money  being  anonymously  received  by  the  govermnent. 
It  is  conscience  money. 

It  was  conscience  that  made  Jean  Valjcan  in  "  Les 
Miserables  "  go  to  Arras  and  confess  that  he  was  the 
real  culprit  and  thus  save  an  innocent  man  from  going 
to  the  galleys. 

It  was  conscience  in  Arthur  Dimmesdale  in  the  story 
of  "  The  Scarlet  Letter,"  that  made  him  confess  on  the 
platform  his  sin,  when  he  might  have  fled  in  safety. 

It  was  conscience  that  made  the  English  judge, 
after  he  had  passed  upon  the  case  of  a  young  man,  a 
servant,  who  had  slain  his  master,  hidden  his  body,  and 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE        157 

with  a  bag  of  gold  fled  the  city,  arise  and  take  off  his 
robes  and  wig,  and  stepping  into  the  prisoner's  box 
confess  that  he  in  his  youth  had  done  almost  the  same 
thing,  and  he  desired  to  make  expiation  for  his  crime. 

THE  OFF  TRAIL 

Oh,  the  off  trail's  broad  at  the  fork  of  the  road, 
And  the  off  trail's  smooth  where  the  paths  divide; 
There  is  youth's  free  laugh  and  youth's  light  load. 
And  the  sun  glows  bright  while  off  we  ride ; 
And  we  laughed  at  the  boys  who  held  to  the  right, 
Who  needs  must  crawl  toward  the  beacon  light. 

But  for  every  mile  on  the  off  trail 
There's  three  we  must  trace  again ; 
For  every  hour  on  the  off  trail. 
There's  three  with  scars  of  pain. 

Oh,  we  rode  the  off  trail  hard  and  fast, 
With  the  fruit  of  desire  our  goal  and  goad. 
Nor  noted  the  deadwood  flashing  past. 
As  we  sped  afar  up  the  roughened  road — 
Till  we  came  at  last  to  the  unbridged  streams 
Whose  banks  are  spumed  with  the  ashes  of  dreams. 

And  for  every  mile  of  the  off  trail. 
We  faced  the  three  again; 
For  every  hour  on  our  off  trail, 
Were  three  with  scars  of  pain. 

Oh,  the  off  trail's  rough  near  the  end  of  the  road, 
And  the  hills  grow  high  when  the  paths  divide; 
And  the  faces  are  grave  as  we  shoulder  the  load, 
Tho'  the  Hills  of  God  gleam  high  at  the  side; 


158  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

And  we  climbed  at  last  the  way  God  meant. 
O'er  the  Hills  of  Hope  to  the  Vale  of  Content. 

But  for  every  mile  of  the  off  trail. 
We  bled  the  three  again; 
For  every  joy  of  the  off  trail, 
We're  triply  scarred  with  pain. 

— Elmer  E.  House. 

The  Majesty  of  Conscience  is  here!  But  there  is 
also  one  Mighty  to  save !  There  is  one  who  can  subdue 
the  pangs  of  conscience.  Peter  sets  before  us  the  steps 
and  the  way.  "  Repent  ye,  therefore,  and  turn  again, 
that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  that  so  there  may 
come  seasons  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.'' 

Alfred  Tennyson  pictures  Richard  the  Lion-Hearted, 
imprisoned  in  a  castle  above  the  Danube,  and  describes 
the  wanderings  of  a  minstrel  boy  who  goes  from  country 
to  country  and  from  castle  to  castle  and  plays  upon  his 
flute  until  at  last  he  sees  the  signal  waved  by  Richard 
from  an  iron  grating  in  a  castle  tower.  The  faithful 
youth  goes  and  comes  back  with  gold.  One  night  he 
bribes  the  keeper  at  the  gate.  By  a  ruse  he  binds  the 
jailer  and  gags  his  tongue.  He  finds  his  prince,  and 
lifting  him  upon  his  shoulder  he  bears  the  fainting 
man  across  the  bridge  to  the  edge  of  the  forest.  When 
the  prince  faints  he  revives  him  with  wine;  when  he 
falls,  he  carries  him  over  the  dangerous  passes ;  when 
the  prince  sinks,  he  swims  for  both;  v^hen  the  prince 
sickens  in  the  forest  he  carries  the  leaves  into  the  cave 
and  nurses  him  through  the  fever,  and  makes  his  body 


THE  MAJESTY  OF  CONSCIENCE        159 

to  be  a  door  and  shield  at  the  entrance  to  the  cave.  At 
last  he  leads  him  forth  across  the  threshold  of  his  own 
castle  and  gives  him  a  throne. 

This  is  a  wonderful  story  of  deliverance.  But  it  is 
nothing  compared  to  the  story  of  the  Christ,  who  de- 
livers man  from  sin.  Man  may  have  lost  his  Eden  but 
he  can  have  his  Paradise.  He  may  have  fallen,  but  he 
may  rise;  he  may  be  judged,  but  he  can  have  a  pardon. 
No  child  but  what  can  find  the  gate  of  hope  open. 
Blessed  are  they  who  enter  in,  for  they  shall  find 
peace. 


IX 

DAMAGED  GOODS 

WE  are  not  writing  about  the  play  of  Eugene 
Brieux  or  the  novel  of  Upton  Sinclair,  when 
we  talk  on  the  subject  of  "  damaged  goods," 
interesting  and  fascinating  as  they  may  be,  but  upon 
the  reality,  as  seen  in  life  about  us.  "  Truth  is  stranger 
than  fiction,"  and  we  would  talk  about  truth. 

We  stand  aghast  at  the  damaging  of  a  fine  automobile, 
a  fine  vase  or  a  piece  of  beautiful  silk,  a  beautiful 
mansion,  a  masterpiece  painting,  but  why  not  wake 
up  to  the  damage  of  human  beings  on  all  sides  of  us ! 

There  goes  an  old  man  along  the  streets  of  my  home 
city,  with  distorted,  beastly  face,  watched  by  the  police, 
disliked  by  the  debauchee,  scorned  by  the  prodigal.  He 
was  once  an  attorney-general  in  a  great  eastern  state; 
he  is  now  a  piece  of  "  damaged  goods." 

He  was  a  fine  college  man,  and  stood  high  in  society ; 
he  sowed  his  wild  oats,  but  finally  married  a  beautiful, 
pure  woman  in  my  church,  and  a  few  months  later, 
there  came  a  baby  boy — but  "  damaged  goods." 

She  was  a  beautiful  girl,  and  had  many  admirers, 
but  found  the  wrong  "  set,"  and  now  she  is  "  damaged 
goods." 

Who  wants  to  buy  damaged  goods  ?  Who  likes  to  see 
them?     Who  is  not  glad  to  get  rid  of  them,  if  they 

160 


DAMAGED  GOODS  161 

find  them  on  their  hands?  So  much  is  true  in  our 
materials,  our  automobiles,  our  animals,  our  possessions. 
Who  does  not  like  blooded  stock,  fine  homes  and 
"  quality  clothes  "  ?  What  care  and  attention  along 
these  lines,  and  what  fine  results!  But  have  we  not 
been  "  penny  wise  and  pound  foolish,"  in  not  giving 
care  to  our  body;  to  our  mind;  to  the  development  of 
our  children?  Here  is  our  biggest  asset;  our  greatest 
reward ! 

There  is  a  picture  in  Paris  called  "  The  Decadence 
of  the  Romans."  A  hall  is  filled  with  revellers.  A 
youth,  with  a  wreath  upon  his  head,  is  perched  upon 
a  pedestal.  Another,  leering,  is  holding  a  dripping 
goblet  to  the  marble  lips  of  a  statue.  Erom  the  face  of 
the  youth,  all  traces  of  Roman  dignity  have  gone.  They 
are  in  striking  contrast  with  the  noble  features  of  the 
statues  which  fringe  the  hall;  but  they  are  like  the 
faces  of  many  a  Paris  youth.  The  painter  found  his 
models  in  that  famous  city. 

What  about  the  decadence  of  the  Americans!  We 
have  improved  our  cities,  but  weakened  our  manhood; 
we  have  wondrous  clothes,  hats  and  shoes,  but  deaden 
the  moral  sense  of  our  womanhood ;  we  have  quantity, 
but  lost  our  quality ;  we  have  speed,  but  more  disasters ; 
we  have  "  fun,"  but  have  lost  our  vision ;  we  have  all 
kinds  of  food,  but  have  impaired  digestion;  we  have 
more  freedom,  but  less  morality.  Some  of  our  de- 
generate sons  sneer  at  the  hardihood  of  their  fathers. 
But  young  men  who  get  rotten  before  they  get  ripe; 
who  spend  much  contemplation  on  the  width  of  their 
shoe,  the  colour  of  their  necktie,  the  cut  of  their  hair, 


162  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

might  be  a  good  picture  of  our  decadence  today.  It  is 
also  to  be  noted  that  some  of  our  daughters  sneer  at  the 
modesty  and  teachings  of  their  mothers.  But  dealers 
and  users  of  cosmetics,  embroiderers  of  morals,  often 
become  advertisers  of  "  damaged  goods." 

We  laugh  at  the  sturdy  souls  of  the  past  and  pity 
them  in  their  isolation  and  lack  of  modern  '^  frills." 
But  they  were  not  "  damaged  goods."  They  had  fine 
bodies,  clear  minds,  mighty  convictions,  and  a  great 
grip  upon  the  moralities  of  life.  They  were  worthy 
sires  and  dames,  and  gave  their  children  a  fine  start  in 
life.  The  contrast  is  not  in  our  favour.  They  were 
cleaner  in  body,  stronger  in  originality,  sweeter  of  spirit 
and  developers  of  great  states  and  communities. 

There  is  the  value  of  heredity.  One  of  the  best 
known  facts  is  the  likeness  of  a  child  to  its  parents. 
Sometimes  it  is  like  the  father;  other  times,  like  the 
mother.  This  likeness  is  more  than  in  physical  aspect. 
It  may  be  in  music,  art,  medicine  or  law.  These  traits 
can  be  seen  in  national  characteristics,  such  as  English, 
French,  German,  Chinese  or  American.  "  Every  child 
is  the  sum  of  the  physical  and  mental  gifts  that  once 
were  distributed  among  its  ancestors,  but  at  birth  are 
swept  together  and  compacted  in  a  single  life." 

But  the  working  of  this  law  takes  us  into  the  shadows. 
IN'ot  only  are  habits  and  manners  inherited,  but  physical 
defects,  diseases,  taints  of  blood  as  well.  An  insurance 
company  wants  to  know  your  family  history.  Has  there 
been  cancer,  consumption,  insanity  in  it?  What  does 
this  mean?  It  means  that  we  do  not  come  into  this 
world  with  a  clean  slate.    In  the  cells  and  nerves  are 


DAMAGED  GOODS  163 

written  the  character  of  parents  and  grandparents. 
"  The  fathers  eat  sour  grapes,  but  it  is  the  teeth  of  the 
children  that  are  set  on  edge." 

Dr.  Von  Schaefer,  a  famous  German  scientist,  made 
a  visit  to  beer  drinking  Munich,  to  see  what  was  the 
matter  "  mit  den  Kindern/'  and  to  ascertain  what  effect 
beer  drinking  was  having  on  the  offspring  of  those 
who  drink  it.  After  eight  years,  he  announced  as  a 
result  of  his  observation  that  seventy-two  per  cent  of 
children  born  in  that  city  were  physically  or  mentally 
deficient.  At  a  later  date  he  made  a  similar  experiment 
in  Maine  and  found  that  seventy-one  and  a  half  per 
cent  of  the  children  born  in  that  state  were  sound  in 
body  and  mind. 

Still  illustrating  our  case,  take  five  men,  distinguished 
as  being  heads  of  corporations,  banks,  holding  govern- 
ment positions,  yet  moderate  drinkers.  Of  their 
eighteen  sons,  only  one  made  a  success  in  life.  Most 
of  them  died  before  they  were  thirty-five,  and  only  one 
of  them  reached  the  age  of  fifty.  All  used  liquor  some- 
what, and  their  children  are  weak;  most  of  them  have 
died. 

We  must  not  forget  that  we  are  cashing  in  our  un- 
born children,  when  as  young  men  and  women  we 
sow  the  wild  oats  of  youth.  The  feeble-minded  have 
increased  in  this  country  more  than  five  hundred  per 
cent  in  the  last  sixty  years.  It  is  well  for  our  Christian 
women  to  remember  ^'  that  the  greatest  love  of  the  finest 
woman  in  the  world  cannot  reform  the  germ  plasm  of 
an  hereditary  drunhard/'  or  a  sower  of  wild  oats. 

Where  is  the  justice  of  all  this?     Well,  if  the  evil 


164  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

is  transmitted,  so  is  the  good.  In  physical  weakness, 
if  a  bias  toward  evil  is  transmitted,  so  is  physical 
strength  and  a  disposition  toward  virtue  given. 

In  the  early  days  of  'New  England,  when  the  blood 
was  pure  and  strong,  the  Tuttle  family  of  l^orthamp- 
ton,  Massachusetts,  produced  within  one  century,  nearly 
one  hundred  physicians,  more  than  one  hundred  lawyers, 
one  hundred  and  twenty  clergymen,  forty  college  profes- 
sors and  presidents,  several  of  our  greatest  writers  and 
one  vice-president.  The  Emersons,  the  Lowells,  the 
Beechers,  the  Cabots,  the  Adamses  and  Fields,  all, 
illustrate  this  great  fact. 

By  the  law  of  heredity  the  most  valuable  life  comes 
to  us.  While  it  ordains  that  the  fearful  ravages  of 
sin  shall  be  sent  down  from  generation  to  generation, 
it  also  ordains  that  each  generation  shall  inherit  the 
accumulated  experiences,  blessings  and  advantages  of 
the  past. 

Evil  and  good  are  not  equal  in  power.  The  good  is 
more  potent,  longer  lived.  It  is  the  property  of  evil 
that  it  burns  itself  out  quickly.  While  heredity  may 
determine  the  character  of  our  temptations,  it  does  not 
control  our  destiny.  We  can  by  the  grace  of  God  help 
to  work  out  a  better  salvation. 

We  have  also  learned  from  experience  that  "  damaged 
.iroods  "  come  to  us  from  the  sowing  of  wild  oats.  Some 
think  that  a  yQung  man  who  is  doing  this,  is  getting 
rid  of  so  much  "  bile,"  and  when  ejected  will  leave  the 
body  purified  and  better.  There  is  a  condoning  of 
such  action  by  society,  in  a  muffled  statement :  "  He  is 
sowing  his  wild  oats  now,  but  later  he  will  be  all  right." 


DAMAGED  GOODS  165 

He  will  not  he  all  rigJit.  We  dare  to  saj  to  him :  ^'  Sow 
your  wild  oats  if  you  will,  but  remember,  that  '  God  is 
not  mocked,  whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he 
also  reap.' ''  A  man  cannot  live  in  a  stye  and  come 
out  clean. 

Let  us  not  soften  matters  here  by  indirect  manner  of 
speech,  or  camouflaging  it.  The  French  have  the 
phrase  ^'  Fille  de  joie ''  to  express  the  "  woman  of  the 
street.''  We  call  certain  liberties  of  the  hour  "  joy- 
riding," and  yet  rugged,  hideous  reality  of  sin  goes 
on  with  all  this,  and  our  young  people  go  down  under 
it  all  to  an  awful  death  of  illness  and  mockery,  that  has 
its  final  reaping. 

The  world  is  now  learning  why  so  many  children  have 
come  into  the  world  with  blindness ;  why  the  bride  has 
to  go  to  the  hospital  soon  after  her  marriage  or  is 
turned  into  a  hopeless  invalid.  "  Todaj  there  are 
many  young  wives  and  babes  who  die  through  caresses, 
having  unconsciously  in  one  hour  passed  over  the  fatal 
line  between  health  and  corruption,  between  life  and 
death."  The  time  has  come  when  a  careful  physical 
examination  and  a  blood  test  should  be  given  each  man 
or  woman  who  desires  to  marry.  It  has  been  estimated 
that  ninety-five  per  cent  of  marriage-borne  infection 
would  be  stopped  by  examining  the  male  party  alone. 
There  is  no  doubt  from  experiences  already  made  that 
a  blood  test  would  have  a  deterrent  effect  on  wild  oats 
that  would  save  many  from  being  ^^  damaged  goods." 

"  Few  of  us  go  far  on  the  journey  of  life  without 
learning  the  turbulent  nature  of  the  crew  with  which 
we  have  to  deal  within.     Many  appetites  and  impulses 


166  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

are  within,  which  may  have  sailed  with  previous  genera- 
tions with  those  who  gave  them  license.  We  must  nail 
the  hatches  firmly  down  and  keep  these  riotous  de- 
sires below  the  decks,  while  we  stand  securely  at  the 
wheel,  our  eye  upon  the  needle  of  God's  clear  com- 
mands." 

"  Everything  today  is  fanning  these  fires,  which  are 
already  too  hot  within  our  natures.  Our  literature  is 
reeking  with  evil  suggestion.  Our  stage  is  full  of  it. 
Our  pictorial  art  is  smeared.  You  cannot  turn  in  any 
direction,  from  yonder  poster  board  down  to  yonder  post 
card  store,  without  seeing  it.  It  is  everywhere.  The 
dress  of  women  is  intensely  suggestive !  Her  face  lures ; 
her  paint  speaks  of  the  unreality  of  her  nature.  And 
so  the  flame  of  fire  is  gathering  fury,  and  our  youth  are 
withered  and  burned." 

Knowledge  is  needed!  We  must  face  the  fact  that 
we  are  living  in  a  world  whose  largest  and  most  im- 
penetrable mystery  is  the  mystery  of  the  sex  instinct! 
There  is  no  doubt  but  what  God  has  fixed  here  among 
the  stars  a  world  where  the  supreme  function  is  the 
function  of  begetting.  Look  across  the  field  of  nature, 
and  you  discover  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  of 
nature  the  rush  toward  pro-creation.  A  million  fish 
will  sweep  up  the  river,  and  die,  after  the  supreme 
function  is  accomplished. 

"  Man,  too,  is  in  this  vast  mysterious  current.  There 
is  not  any  force  like  it.  Talk  of  gravity,  talk  of  elec- 
tricity! This  awful  force  which  runs  in  the  blood  is 
more  potent  and  more  ominous  and  more  to  be  feared 
than  the  avalanche's  movement,  than  the  fury  of  tern- 


DAMAGED  GOODS  167 

pestSj  than  all  the  blighting  effects  of  miasma  and  fatal 
bacteria !  " 

Let  man  master  this  great  power!  Let  him  be  su- 
preme over  it,  and  it  will  give  back  to  the  world  the 
power  that  brings  its  greatest  glory  and  achievement. 
Let  the  woman  be  taught  that  she  is  not  only  a  co- 
creator,  but  that  her  body  is  the  channel  through  which 
posterity  must  pass  and  that  the  channel  must  be  kept 
pure. 

It  is  important  that  we  prize  the  value  of  our  creative 
forces,  and  keep  them  at  their  best  for  life  and  pro- 
duction. "  Seed  is  concentrated  vitality."  It  must 
be  preserved,  not  wasted.  Youthful  excesses  in  seed 
chemicalized,  mean  an  arrested  development,  and  later 
imperfect  offspring.  Virility  conserved  and  trans- 
muted means  power  and  life  and  force  of  character. 
Abuse  of  sex  functions  is  one  of  the  chief  causes  of 
degeneracy. 

"  There  is  an  impression  abroad  that  sex  relations 
are  necessary,  for  physical  necessity  demands  it,  custom 
justifies  it,  perverted  desires  impel  it,  and  the  move- 
ments and  sights  of  the  day  and  night  excite  to  it.  But 
all  these  do  not  make  it  right  or  best  for  the  race. 
You  say,  again,  [  It  is  natural.'  Which  man  do  you 
believe  in,  Darwin's  man  or  God's  man?  The  evolved 
brute  or  the  involved  spirit  ?  We  are  a  long  way  from 
God's  man  today."    We  are  "  damaged  goods." 

Love  is  not  license.  Marriage  is  natural.  The  desire 
for  companionship  of  the  opposite  sex  is  written  by  the 
law  of  God.  xind  the  proper  association  of  the  sexes  is 
essential  to  the  best  of  life.     There  is  no  doubt  that 


168  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

the  attachment  of  home,  children  and  loved  ones,  all 
tend  to  form  an  anchor  to  the  very  hest  in  life.  But 
a  woman's  love  is  a  delicate  flov^er  and  grows  grace- 
fully and  blooms  beautifully  under  the  sunlight  of 
pure  love.  It  cannot  endure  harsh  treatment;  it  is 
quickly  withered  by  the  heat  of  passion,  and  chilled 
quickly  by  the  frosts  of  neglect. 

Let  a  wife  know  that  she  can  come  to  her  husband 
at  any  time  in  the  fondness  of  true  love,  without  ex- 
citing his  carnal  nature,  and  she  would  come  more  often. 
Few  wives  are  queens  of  their  own  persons.  In  many 
a  home  love  is  nothing  more  than  legalized  lust. 

Into  the  child  life  of  the  home  should  go  the  very 
best  of  creative  forces.  But  how  many  children  are 
well  born?  Only  a  few.  Most  children  have  their 
origin  in  uncontrolled  desire,  and  were  not  really 
wanted.  Such  children  come  into  the  world  handi- 
capped and  often  prove  to  be  "  damaged  goods.'' 

"No  married  woman,  with  good  health,  should  refuse 
to  do  her  part  in  the  functioning  of  human  life.  Statis- 
tics prove  that  men  and  women  who  marry  and  have 
children  live  longer  and  are  less  liable  to  disease  than 
men  and  women  who  do  not  marry  and  do  not  have 
children.  Whoever,  being  able,  refuses  to  have  a  child, 
takes  a  great  responsibility,  for  that  shattered  life  strain, 
sacred  survival  of  the  ages,  may  be  necessary  to  one  of 
God's  high  purposes.  There  might  be  born  another 
Lincoln !    Another  Frances  Willard !     Who  knows  ? 

Today  there  is  a  social  pace  that  is  manufacturing 
"  damaged  goods."  The  pace  among  young  women  is 
too  fast.     They  are  often  lacking  in  modesty,  and  are 


DAMAGED  GOODS  169 

too  familiar  with  young  men.  They  do  not  hesitate  to 
call  young  men  up  and  ask  them  to  take  them  out  to 
this  and  that.  They  want  the  best  and  lots  of  excite- 
ment with  it.  They  are  often  daring  in  manner  and 
hold  in  approach. 

"  There  is  too  much  sex-complaisance  among  our 
working  women,  office  women,  artistic  and  literary 
women,  also  among  pleasure-seeking,  more  or  less 
widowed  or  divorced  women,  also  among  some  that  are 
not  divorced.''  Sex-indulgence  is  indulged  in  for  good 
clothes,  good  times,  good  friendship  and  now  and  then, 
for  real  love. 

Love  in  a  cottage  has  become  a  myth  and  living 
within  one's  means  is  thrown  to  the  winds,  and  a  fast 
pace  is  acquired  through  installment  houses  and  credit 
systems.  After  a  little  while  the  honeymoon  is  over, 
the  trouble  begins,  men  are  driven  to  desperation,  and 
homes  become  anything  but  a  heaven.  Motherhood  is 
disdained  and  all  sorts  of  desperate  means  are  taken 
to  avoid  the  same.  Too  often  the  result  is  separation 
and  divorce. 

The  men  are  even  worse  in  their  social  life.  They  are 
"  out  with  the  boys";  '^  in  with  the  girls  ";  lacking  in 
morals.  They  seek  the  company  of  this  young  lady 
and  that,  but  if  they  cannot  be  tempted  to  wrongdoing 
after  once  or  twice  going  to  the  theatre,  they  do  not 
come  back  again,  but  seek  the  girl  who  is  not  too 
particular  to  wrongdoing.  "  If  sex-complaisance  were 
withheld  for  six  months,  half  the  unmarried  women  in 
the  country  would  be  married.  Alas !  Women  have 
never  been  willing  to  practise  this  sex  solidarity.    They 


170  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

have  never  realized  that  when  one  woman  enters  into 
irregular  relations  with  unmarried  men  she  is  stealing 
the  possible  husband  of  another  woman,  she  is  warring 
against  her  own  sex." 

The  middle-aged  man  is  often  as  bad,  if  not  worse 
than  the  young  man.  With  more  money  and  prestige, 
wife  ill,  and  surly,  home  ties  are  forgotten,  some 
younger  woman  slips  into  the  limelight,  and  for  the 
money  in  it,  the  young  woman  makes  "  an  old  fool  " 
believe  that  he  never  knew  what  love  was  before.  If 
conscience  speaks,  he  drowns  it  with  the  thought: 
"  They  all  do  it,"  "  my  wife  does  not  appreciate  me  " 
and  "  I  have  no  one  that  cares  for  me."  The  old  Baby- 
lonian lust  and  high  life ;  the  old  Eoman  days  have  been 
eclipsed  by  the  men  of  the  twentieth  century. 

And  today  there  is  a  haste  and  a  rush  that  is  damag- 
ing life  in  a  most  terrible  way.  David  Swing  in  an 
essay  before  the  Chicago  Literary  Club,  closed  with 
these  words :  "  Over  almost  everything  save  our  virtues, 
there  might  be  written  the  condemnation :  ^  too  much.'  " 
Medical  Science  says  we  eat  too  much ;  Herbert  Spencer 
dared  to  claim  that  we  read  too  much.  There  are  others 
who  claim  that  we  dress  too  much;  doctor  too  much; 
drink  too  much ;  go  too  much.  Overdoing  has  become 
an  epidemic.  Everything  is  pushed.  Boys  and  girls 
are  pushed  through  schools ;  chickens  are  hatched  by 
electricity ;  wheat  is  sold  before  it  is  in  the  ground ; 
and  land  is  sold  before  the  water  has  been  drained  from 
it.  Even  death  is  in  a  hurry,  and  instead  of  lingering 
along  with  the  ailments  of  the  fathers,  we  succumb  to 
apoplexy  and  heart  failure.     We  are  our  own  worst 


DAMAGED  GOODS  171 

enemies.  In  spite  of  warning  words,  we  go  right  ahead 
eating  our  food  in  haste,  and  repenting  at  leisure. 

The  engineer  watches  the  semaphore ;  the  pedestrian 
watches  the  policemen,  the  skater  watches  the  danger 
signal ;  the  autoist  watches  the  crossing  bell ;  we  should 
watch  the  signs  of  our  bodies,  minds  and  hearts.  A 
sick  body  indicates  sick  thoughts;  a  wandering  mind 
reveals  lack  of  concentration;  a  tugging  heart  reveals  a 
lack  of  harmony  with  God.  A  slower  pace,  with  more 
thoughtfulness  to  the  demands  of  our  being,  will  get 
us  there  with  better  results.  Even  our  older  people  have 
caught  the  fever  of  bustle  and  excitement  and  lament 
that  they  are  old  and  wish  for  the  elixir  of  youth,  and 
seek  every  new  science  and  medicine  that  promises  the 
same  to  them.  The  old  men  want  to  marry  the  young 
women,  and  the  old  women  would  marry  the  young 
men.  It  is  a  merry  pace  that  has  been  set  in  the  old 
world  of  today. 

^^  Dr.  Heidegger's  Experiment,"  as  told  by  ISTathaniel 
Hawthorne  has  a  most  wholesome  lesson  for  us  in 
these  days.  He  told  four  of  his  friends.  Colonel  Killi- 
grew,  Medbourne,  Gascoigne,  three  old  men,  wrecks  of 
time,  and  the  Widow  Wycherly,  who  had  been  a  gay 
beauty  a  half  century  earlier  that  a  friend  of  his  had 
discovered  Ponce  de  Leon's  fabled  "  Fountain  of 
Youth,"  and  had  sent  some  to  him.  He  would  be  glad 
to  have  them  try  it,  if  they  so  desired.  "  All  of  you," 
he  said,  ^'  are  welcome  to  as  much  of  this  fluid  as  may 
restore  to  you  the  bloom  of  youth.  For  my  own  part, 
I  will  watch  the  experiment." 

^^  Before  you  drink,"  he  urged,  "  it  would  be  well, 


172  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

with  the  experiences  of  a  lifetime  to  direct  you  to  draw 
Tip  rules  for  your  guidance  in  passing  a  second  time 
through  the  perils  of  youth.  With  your  peculiar  ad- 
vantages you  should  become  patterns  of  virtue  and  wis- 
dom to  all  young  people." 

They  drank  greedily,  avidly,  glass  after  glass  of  the 
liquid.  And  as  they  drank,  they  grew  young.  Feeble- 
ness, wrinkles,  weariness,  fell  away  from  them,  to  be 
replaced  by  glowing  youth.  The  four  stared  at  one 
another  in  amazement.  They  were  no  longer  three  aged 
men,  they  were  three  handsome  young  men  and  a  dash- 
ing, beautiful  girl. 

Instantly  the  three  men  were  making  violent  love  to 
the  beautiful  young  woman  who  flirted  gaily  with 
them.  They  began  to  quarrel  with  each  other  over  her 
smiles,  and  finally  the  romp  became  a  fight.  The 
precious  jar  of  life  was  overturned  in  the  scramble  and 
its  contents  sank  unheeded  into  the  floor. 

The  doctor  broke  their  orgy  by  exclaiming  over  their 
appearance.  They  looked  at  one  another;  into  their 
scared  faces  old  age  was  once  more  creeping.  All  the 
jar  of  water  was  spilled  and  lost.  Its  virtues  were 
only  transient.  The  doctor  had  omitted  to  explain  that 
to  them.  ^' Yes,  friends,"  said  the  doctor  sadly,  "you 
are  old  again.  And  the  Water  of  Youth  is  all  lavished 
upon  the  ground,  I  bemoan  it  not.  For  if  the  Fountain 
gushed  at  my  very  doorstep  I  would  not  stoop  to  bathe 
my  lips  in  it.  ISTo,  though  the  delirium  were  for  years 
instead  of  moments.  Such  is  the  lesson  you  have  taught 
me." 

There  is  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  eternal 


DAMAGED  GOODS  173 

life,  which  it  is  well  for  all  to  partake,  and  to  make 
haste  to  secure  the  same.  Let  us  haste  in  the  right 
direction — toward  truth  and  God,  and  we  shall  find  the 
elixir  of  youth. 

There  is  a  grasp  today  upon  the  material  things 
that  is  damaging  the  sweeter,  the  better  nature  of  men 
and  women.  A  young  man  took  a  friend  out  for  an 
automobile  ride  and  as  he  went  on  he  said :  "  My 
motto  is  '  Get  there  First ! '  "  A  good  motto,  you  say  ? 
Yes,  but  this  man  was  willing  to  run  over  people  in 
order  to  reach  his  goal  first. 

And  is  not  this  the  spirit  of  the  hour  ?  "  Get  there  ! '' 
someway,  somehow,  it  matters  not,  if  you  only  get 
there.  There  is  a  great  exhilaration  in  this  speed  and 
determination.  But  there  is  also  an  atrophy  to  the  best 
powers  of  one's  life.  Conscience  loses  its  fine  edge,  and 
the  best  emotions  are  hardened  and  become  insensitive  to 
all  fine  discernment. 

Ina  Watts'  ^'  Mammon,"  there  is  a  great,  pompous 
figure  in  scarlet  and  gcM.  His  face  is  fat  and  sight- 
less. Brutal  hands  and  feet  are  resting  carelessly  on  the 
godlike  figure  of  youth.  The  bloated  materialistic 
presence  has  the  ears  of  an  ass,  indicating  that  he  is 
powerful,  but  imbecile.  Such  is  the  picture  of  the 
materialist,  who  makes  life  a  pursuit  wholly  for  gain. 

The  supreme  question  for  modern  civilization  is  the 
formation  of  character.  Of  what  use  are  our  material 
advancements  if  they  leave  only  a  dismal  emptiness 
within?  Of  what  use  carrying  people  at  sixty  miles 
an  hour  if  they  are  fools  when  they  get  there  ?  Of  what 
use  our  latest  telegraphy  if  it  flings  across  the  world  no 


174  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

better  news  than  commercial  frauds,  social  intrigues,  or 
the  follies  of  the  rich,  and  the  discontent  of  the  poor? 
Of  what  use  picture  shows,  if  they  throw  upon  the 
screen  the  low  and  the  sensuous?  Of  what  use  is  our 
money  if  it  leads  us  into  extravagant  living,  unholy 
orgies  and  the  flaunting  of  things  that  only  gold  can 
buy?  Of  what  use  to  build  great  schoolhouses,  if  we 
train  the  children  only  to  be  clever,  to  be  sensual — to 
thieve  better,  to  lie  more  plausibly — to  live  more  unholy. 
And  material  gain  that  is  not  first  and  foremost  a 
training  for  character  is  only  a  preparation  for  villainy's 
more  effectual  service. 

We  must  weigh  the  whole  journey  of  life,  all  the 
needs  of  the  body,  mind  and  spirit,  if  we  are  not  to  be 
only  damaged  goods  at  the  end  of  the  journey. 

Then,  too,  we  are  damaging  ourselves  by  our  own 
malpractice.  We  have  no  right  to  think  of  the  bad, 
the  defective  side  of  life.  To  do  so  is  to  weaken  our 
own  ability  and  our  contribution  of  good  to  the  world's 
advancement.  "  A  man's  foes  are  those  of  his  own 
household."  To  think  weakly,  is  to  act  weakly.  Crimi- 
nals are  mental  criminals  first.  A  young  man  said  he 
wanted  to  do  things  that  were  impossible  to  others,  and 
as  he  went  by  a  rich  man's  house,  he  tried  to  think  out 
different  ways  of  entering  the  house  at  night,  until  he 
finally  attempted  it. 

"  Every  ugly  thing  told  to  yourself  will  remain  like 
splinters  in  the  flesh  to  torture  you  all  your  life  long." 
Every  good  thing  given  yourself  will  remain  in  the 
mind  to  inspire  and  demonstrate  the  best  of  all  good 
for  yourself. 


DAMAGED  GOODS  176 

ISTo  one  can  damage  yourself  as  much  as  yourself. 
You  may  be  your  own  greatest  evil,  and  you  can  be 
your  own  greatest  good.  ^'  It  is  a  law  that  no  power 
can  injure  a  person  who  is  resolutely  living  the  true, 
honest  life.  Bad  thoughts  may  swarm  around  you,  but 
they  cannot  get  in,  until  you  are  bad  in  thought."  You 
are  able  to  say  to  the  whole  world :  "  The  king  may  not 
be  disturbed  in  his  castle,  and  I  am  that  king." 

We  can  damage  others  by  our  thought  of  evil  and 
sin.  To  hold  another  in  anger,  hate  and  jealousy,  is 
sheer  mental  malpractice  and  will  not  only  injure  him, 
but  us  more.  Every  ugly  thing  you  tell  a  child,  every 
fright  you  give  him  will  remain  to  weaken  him  for- 
ever. Every  bad  damaging  thought  you  send  out  in 
any  way,  is  adding  to  the  sum  of  evil ;  is  damaging  the 
human  world;  is  adding  to  the  sum-total  of  weakness 
and  misery. 

When  Kipling's  Tomlinson  stood  before  St.  Peter, 
seeking  admission  into  heaven,  he  was  asked  what  were 
his  grounds  for  admission :  "  What  had  he  done  for  the 
sake  of  man  ?  "  He  told  what  he  had  seen,  and  heard, 
and  thought,  but  the  guardian  of  the  gate  interrupted 
him  with  the  challenge: 

"  Ye  have  read,  ye  have  heard,  ye  have  thought,  and  the 
race  is  yet  to  run, 
By  the  worth  of  the  body  that  once  ye  had;  give  answer 
What  ha'  ye  done?" 

We  have  lived  a  part  of  our  life,  perhaps  nearly  all 
of  it.  Are  we  "damaged  goods?"  There  is  hope 
for  us.     There  is  One,  and  One  only  who  can  remake 


176  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

us.  One  who  can  repair  the  damage  in  us  and  make 
possible  a  life  of  power  and  goodness.  It  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  Saviour  of  men. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  stories  I  ever  read  was 
"  John  N^orton's  Christmas,"  by  W.  H.  H.  Murray. 
This  and  other  books  of  this  author,  were  written  to 
prove  that  a  man  could  write  a  most  interesting  novel 
and  not  have  a  woman  in  it. 

John  Norton  would  keep  one  Christmas,  and  so  he 
wrote  an  invitation  and  put  it  in  the  woods,  and  it 
read  thus :  "  Any  Man  or  Animal  that  be  in  Want  of 
Victuals  or  Garments  is  invited  to  come  on  Christmas 
Day,  which  be  Next  Week  Thursday — Without  Furder 
Axin'  to  John  Norton's  Cabin  on  Long  Lake,  to  eat 
Christmas  Dinner.  Vagabonds  included  in  this  In- 
vite." 

The  men  came  from  all  directions,  and  all  were 
having  a  merry  time,  when  there  came  a  knock  at  the 
door.  The  old  trapper  said:  "  Come  in,  whoe'er  ye  be; 
ye  be  welcome  ef  ye  be  a  little  late."  And  there  entered 
a  sturdy  fellow  of  swarthy  skin,  full  whiskered,  eyes 
as  black  as  night,  and  in  his  face  could  be  seen  the  im- 
press of  unmistakable  power.  It  was  Shanty  Jim,  who 
had  that  very  day  stolen  from  the  old  trapper's  traps, 
as  he  had  many  times  before. 

"  Do  you  know  that  I  am  a  thief  ? "  said  the  new- 
comer, with  a  directness  that  was  startling. 

"  I've  conceited  ye  was,"  answered  the  trapper, 
calmly. 

''  Do  you  know  what  brought  me  here  ?  "  asked  the 
man. 


DAMAGED  GOODS  177 

'^  I  can't  conceit,  onless  the  sperit  of  the  Lord." 
"  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  had  nothing  to  do  with  it," 
said  the  other  fiercely.  ''  I  didn't  care  about  your  invi- 
tation until  I  saw  ^  vagabonds  included  in  this  invite.' 
"^Vhen  I  read  that,  old  man,  my  breath  left  me  and  I 
stood  and  stared  at  the  letters  on  that  bark  as  a  devil 
might  gaze  at  a  pardon  signed  with  the  seal  of  the 
Almighty,  for  in  my  hand  was  a  trap  that  bore  the 
stamp  '  J.  ]Sr.'  and  the  skin  of  an  otter  I  had  taken  from 
the  trap.  Standing  there  in  the  snow  with  the  stolen 
skin  and  trap  in  my  hand,  I  realized  what  I  was  and 
what  John  ISTorton  was  and  the  difference  between  him 
and  myself.  I  went  to  the  tree  where  the  bark  that 
bore  the  blessed  letters  was  nailed.  I  took  it  down 
from  the  tree ;  I  placed  it  next  my  bosom,  and  I  buttoned 
my  coat  above  it  and,  thus  resting  upon  my  heart,  I 
bore  it  to  my  shanty.  I  saw  more  than  the  words  writ- 
ten on  the  bark,  John  ISTorton.  For  looking  at  it  I 
saw  all  my  past  life  and  the  evil  of  it  and  what  a 
scoundrel  I  had  become,  and  I  said,  when  the  sun  comes 
I  will  rise  and  go  to  the  man  who  wrote  those  words  and 
tell  him  what  they  did  for  me.  And  here  I  am,  a 
vagabond  who  has  accepted  your  invitation  to  spend 
Christmas  with  you,  and  here  in  this  pack  are  the 
skins  and  the  traps  I  have  stolen  from  you,  and  I  ask 
your  forgiveness  and  that  you  may  take  my  hand  in 
proof  of  it,  that  I  may  come  to  your  table  feeling  that 
I  am  a  man,  and  a  vagabond  no  longer." 

'^  Heart  and  hand  be  yours,  now  and  forever,  Shanty 
Jim,"  cried  the  trapper,  joyfully;  and  rising  from  his 
chair,  he  met  the  outstretched  hand  of  the  repentant 


178  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

vagabond  with  his  own  hearty  grasp.  "  And  may  the 
Lord  be  with  you  evermore." 

"  John  Norton,"  said  the  man,  "  you  have  called  me 
Shanty  Jim,  and  that  is  well,  for  in  the  woods  here 
that  is  my  name,  but  in  the  city  where  I  lived  and 
whence  I  fled, — fled  because  of  my  misdeeds  years 
ago,  I  have  another  name,  a  name  of  power  and  wealth 
and  honour  for  more  than  two  centuries.  There  I  have 
a  home,  and  in  that  home  sits  tonight  my  aged  father 
and  white-haired  mother.  I  am  going  back  to  them 
clothed  in  my  right  mind." 

This  man  remade  himself,  and  became  worthy  of  the 
confidence  and  great  forgiveness  of  the  old  trapper. 

This  story  is  but  a  feeble  picture  of  Christ,  who  re- 
ceives us  and  makes  possible  a  life  of  light  where  there 
had  been  darkness,  strength  where  there  had  been  weak- 
ness, life  where  there  had  been  death,  wholesome  quality 
where  before  there  had  been  "  damaged  goods." 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  COiq^DUCT 

THE  hope  of  man  is  not  in  any  system  of  industry, 
or  form  of  government,  or  fraternal  organization, 
or  political  power,  or  pull,  or  education,  but  in 
conduct.  Here  is  the  big  word  of  the  hour ;  here  is  the 
secret  of  life;  here  the  destiny  of  man. 

The  trouble  with  life  today,  does  not  lie  in  the  in- 
dustrial system,  in  the  form  of  government,  in  creed, 
but  it  lies  in  human  nature.  The  trouble  is  not  in  out- 
ward forms,  but  in  inward  character.  "  The  wrong  is 
not  in  public  theory,  but  in  private  practice.  The  evil 
is  not  in  special  crime,  but  individual  sin.  As  long 
as  selfishness  is  the  ruling  factor  in  human  conduct, 
there  will  be  an  under  man  and  an  upper  man  in  society, 
whether  it  be  in  a  socialistic  Utopia  or  in  some  form 
of  competitive  reality." 

My  quarrel  is  not  with  dynamite,  but  with  the  con- 
duct of  the  assassin  who  uses  it  to  explode  a  mine. 
Dynamite  is  a  good  thing  under  a  Hell  Gate  in  E'ew 
York  harbour.  My  quarrel  is  not  with  the  glittering 
steel,  but  with  the  conduct  of  the  murderer  who  plunges 
it  into  the  heart  of  his  victim.  The  steel  is  a  valuable 
thing  in  the  skilful  surgeon's  hand.  My  quarrel  is 
not  with  money,  but  with  the  conduct  of  the  banker 
who  steals  it  from  the  common  labourer  who  puts  his 

179 


180  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

trust  in  his  advice.     Money  is  valuable  vs^lien  used  in 
legitimate  ways  of  trade. 

"  Eucken,  some  years  before  the  war,  declared  that 
there  is  probably  more  antipathy  against  religion  today, 
and  a  more  widespread  and  popular  denial  of  it  than 
has  ever  been  the  case  before.  Since  the  war,  these 
charges  are  reiterated  more  than  ever.''  I  am  sure 
that  these  charges  are  not  against  religion  itself,  but 
against  the  conduct  of  its  followers. 

"  In  the  wood  the  dead  trees  stand 
Dead  and  living,  hand  to  hand. 
Being  winter,  who  can  tell 
Which  is  sick  and  which  is  well? 
Standing  upright  day  by  day 
Sullenly  their  hearts  decay 
Till  a  wise  wind  lays  them  low 
Prostrate — empty — then  we  know. 

"  So  through  the  forests  of  the  street 
Men  stand  dead  upon  their  feet 
Corpses  without  epitaph; 
God  withholds  His  wind  of  wrath, 
So  we  greet  them  with  a  smile 
Dead  and  doomed  a  weary  while, 
Only  sometimes  through  their  eyes 
We  can  see  the  worm  that  plies.'' 

We  have  acquired  the  thought  that  our  Father  would 
weigh  us  by  the  dollars  we  have;  by  the  social  heights 
we  have  attained;  by  the  house  we  live  in;  by  the 
degrees  we  have  won;  by  the  churches  we  sustain;  by 
now  and  then  a  seeming  respect  paid  unto  others.  But 
all  this  is  not  so.    We  have  had  the  wrong  thought ;  the 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CONDUCT       181 

wrong  perspective;  the  wrong  ideal.  We  have  looked 
at  things,  instead  of  the  conduct  of  life.  We  need  to 
live  the  Christian  life,  rather  than  wear  its  livery. 
Conduct  is  now  the  need  of  the  hour !  W^here  shall  we 
find  its  ideal  and  its  practice? 

There  are  masters  in  the  world  who  have  won  their 
place,  and  they  stand  revising,  correcting  and  pointing 
out  the  way  of  real  achievement.  Beethoven,  Schubert, 
Wagner,  point  the  way  in  music.  Kembrandt,  Titian, 
Kaphael,  indicate  the  method  for  successful  painting. 
Lowell,  Longfellow,  give  inspiration  for  poetry.  Ckrist 
shows  the  way  of  conduct. 

Paul  had  his  conduct  in  one  sentence :  "  For  me  to 
live  is  Christ."  This  was  the  secret  of  his  great,  world- 
influencing  life.  Many  exist,  few  live.  Living  and 
existing  are  two  different  things.  All  who  breathe;  all 
who  sleep;  all  who  work,  exist.  But  to  live  is  to  have 
some  earnest  purpose  in  your  life  that  runs  into  mighty 
conduct ;  is  to  have  a  great  ideal  surging  through  your 
thoughts,  that  expresses  itself  in  conduct. 

A  college  president  while  visiting  Japan  a  few  years 
ago  was  accosted  by  a  Chinese  coolie,  who  was  helping 
to  load  a  ship.  He  said :  "  Come  buy  cargo  ?  "  and  the 
man  shook  his  head,  but  smiled.  The  coolie  accosted 
him  a  second  time :  "  Come  see  country  ? ''  and  again 
the  iVmerican  shook  his  head.  Coming  back  again,  the 
third  time  he  spoke  and  said :  "  Spec'  die  soon  ?  "  And 
with  a  laugh,  the  wise  man  said :  '^  ISTo,"  but  he  had 
been  given  one  of  the  greatest  lectures  of  his  life.  In 
these  three  statements  he  discovered  that  all  the  philos- 
ophy and  conduct  of  life  was  to  be  found. 


182  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

A  great  majority  of  the  world's  people  are  here  to 
see  the  country.  They  have  no  special  aim  or  purpose. 
They  are  mere  spectators,  looking  down  upon  the  great 
stage  of  life,  interested  in  the  tragedy  going  on,  but 
making  no  contribution  to  the  direct  solving  of  life's 
problems.  Their  conduct  is  irritating  and  not  sooth- 
ing. 

Another  class  of  people  are  here  for  their  health. 
They  just  live  and  have  no  ambition  to  give,  but  desire 
to  take.  They  would  have  the  world  wait  upon  them 
and  they  give  no  adequate  return  for  the  waiting  or  the 
living.  Their  conduct  is  not  even  patronizing  but 
demanding. 

The  third  class  of  people  are  here  for  business.  What 
kind  of  business  ?  The  business  of  the  world ;  the  busi- 
ness of  making  money;  the  business  of  helping 
humanity  ?  The  business  of  the  King  ?  All  are  legiti- 
mate but  some  are  more  important,  more  valuable.  Our 
business  should  be  the  place  where  the  Christ  conduct 
should  be  exemplified.  Here  is  the  solution  of  the 
problems  that  are  facing  us  today,  on  every  hand. 
Christian  conduct  will  solve  all  problems  of  life,  justly 
and  magnificently  for  all  humanity.  The  Psychology 
of  Conduct  stands  for  certain  definite  things.  What  are 
they  ? 

Conduct  stands  first  for  idealization.  The  ideal  must 
come  first.  To  have  the  thing  in  the  mind  is  to  begin  to 
have  it  in  conduct.  As  we  think,  we  are.  Dwight  L. 
Moody  wanted  a  school  at  N'orthfield.  He  got  the  ideal, 
and  then  came  the  reality.  When  we  pray  for  a  thing 
we  create  the  thing  we  pray  for. 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CONDUCT       183 

One  time  an  aged  man  got  on  a  train  in  a  certain 
city;  after  awhile  the  train  stopped  at  another  city  and 
a  younger  man  got  on  and  coming  down  the  aisle  sat 
down  with  the  older  man.  After  the  train  started,  he 
hegan  a  conversation  with  the  other  man.  He  said: 
"  Going  very  far ?  "  "I  am  going  to  Lawson,"  said 
he.  "  Going  down  to  commencement  ?  "  asked  the  other. 
"  'Noy  I  am  not  going  down  to  commencement,"  he  re- 
plied. "  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  I  did  not  mean  to 
intrude  upon  your  business,  but  I  knew  it  was  com- 
mencement week  down  there,  and  I  was  going  for  that 
purpose,  so  I  thought  you  were  also."  The  old  man 
replied :  "  I  am  not  going  down  to  the  commencement, 
but  I  am  going  down  to  see  the  college.  I  used  to  live 
there,  and  I  have  not  been  back  for  thirty-eight  years, 
and  I  thought  before  I  died  I  would  like  to  see  the  place 
where  I  was  born  and  brought  up.  And  then,  to  tell 
the  truth,  I  wanted  to  build  the  college  that  was  built 
there  a  few  years  ago."  "  You  did  ?  "  asked  the  other. 
"  Yes,  sir.  You  see  I  had  gathered  together  a  goodly 
sum  of  money  and  intended  when  I  had  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  to  start  in  and  build  the  college.  But 
I  only  had  sixty  thousand  dollars  when  it  was  all  swept 
away  in  an  unfortunate  investment  and  I  had  to  leave 
the  ci6y,  and  I  have  never  been  able  to  get  much  money 
since."  ^'  Well,  now,"  said  the  other,  "  this  is  strange. 
I  am  the  man  who  built  the  college  and  gave  three 
million  dollars  to  make  it  possible  and  here  I  fall  in 
with  you,  the  man  who  wanted  to  do  it  but  could  not." 
"  Well,  sir,  I  congratulate  you  that  you  were  able  to 
do  it."    "  Well,  sir !    I  congratulate  myself  that  I  fell 


184  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

in  with  the  man  that  wanted  to  do  it.  Now  tonight  we 
dedicate  a  new  building  and  I  have  the  address ;  I  want 
you  to  be  there  and  hear  it  and  when  it  is  over,  I  want 
to  talk  with  you  and  get  your  advice  as  to  what  you 
might  think  was  best  for  the  future  of  the  college. '^ 
"Well,  sir,  I  did  not  think  of  going  in  anywhere  to- 
night, but  I  will  come." 

The  younger  man  gave  him  his  card  and  asked  him 
to  give  it  to  the  usher  at  the  door,  saying :  "  That  will 
get  you  a  reserved  seat." 

That  night  the  old  man  was  there,  and  the  other  man 
was  up  on  the  platform,  delivering  his  address.  He 
read  every  bit  of  it,  and  after  he  had  turned  over  the 
last  page  of  his  manuscript  and  was  through  he  stepped 
out  and  said :  "  Friends  that  is  all  that  I  have  written, 
but  I  want  to  tell  you  a  story  and  then  I  am  through. 
Thirty-eight  years  ago,  an  orphan  boy  came  into  your 
city  on  a  cold  February  day.  He  had  run  away  from  a 
place  where  he  had  been  abused.  Some  one  gave  him 
something  to  eat  at  noon.  But  no  one  wanted  to  take 
him  in  and  when  night  came  on  he  had  no  place  to  stay 
and  he  had  nothing  given  him  to  eat.  He  was  driven 
out  of  two  saloons  and  he  tried  to  stop  some  persons, 
while  asking  for  money  and  help,  but  no  one  gave  heed 
to  him.  At  last  in  sheer  desperation  he  rushed  out  of  a 
hallway  where  he  had  taken  shelter  and  rushing  up 
to  a  man,  he  said :  ^  Mister,  you  would  not  help  a  little 
boy,  would  you,  who  has  no  place  to  sleep  and  has 
nothing  to  eat.  It  is  so  cold,  sir,  I  am  afraid  I'll  freeze 
tonight,'  '  Well,'  the  man  replied,  ^  you  do  look  hungry 
and  cold,  but  you  have  come  to  a  tough  customer.     I 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CONDUCT       185 

haven't  got  much  myself.  But  come  along,  I  won't  let 
a  boy  like  you  stay  out  a  night  like  this.' 

"  He  took  the  boy  to  his  room  and  going  out  to  the 
bakery  he  came  back  with  plenty  of  food  and  fed  the 
boy.  Then  he  asked  the  boy  about  himself,  and  the 
boy  told  him  all  that  he  knew,  which  was  not  very  much. 
Then  the  man  scratched  his  head  and  said :  '  I  don't 
know  what  to  do  with  you,  my  boy.  I  am  leaving  the 
place  myself  tomorrow  morning  for  the  great  city,  to 
start  in  for  myself.  But  I'll  tell  you  what  I  will  do. 
I  will  take  you  to  the  city  with  me  and  put  you  into 
an  institution  there  for  boys  and  you  shall  have  a 
chance.  It  will  cost  me  half  of  my  worldly  goods,  but 
you  are  going  to  have  your  chance.  I^ow  we  will  get 
to  bed,  for  we  must  be  away  early  in  the  morning.' 

"  So  they  made  ready  for  bed.  Then  the  man  called 
the  boy  over  to  him,  and  they  knelt  in  prayer. 
And  the  man  said :  ^  Lord  Jesus,  I  am  sorry  that 
I  have  failed  to  build  the  college  and  to  get 
the  money.  ISTow  this  little  boy  has  come  into  my  life, 
and  I  am  going  to  take  him  to  the  city  tomorrow; 
watch  over  him,  and  keep  him,  and  may  he  grow 
up  to  be  a  good  man,  and  Lord,  if  he  should  ever 
come  to  a  place  in  his  life  where  he  should  make  a 
lot  of  money,  let  him  build  the  college.  Hear  me  for 
thy  sake,  Amen.' 

^^  The  next  morning  the  two  were  away  to  the  city, 
and  the  boy  was  put  into  the  institution  and  he  grew 
up  to  manhood  and  after  awhile  began  to  make  money. 
Everything  seemed  to  come  his  way.  When  he  had 
become  fairly  well  to  do  one  night  he  thought  of  the 


186  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

man's  prayer,  and  he  decided  then  to  come  down  here 
and  build  the  college.  J^ow  you  know  I  was  that  boy. 
You  have  given  me  the  credit  of  being  the  founder  of 
this  college  but  I  am  not.  The  man  who  made  that 
prayer,  is  the  real  founder  of  this  college,  and  he  is 
here  tonight,  and  I  want  now  to  introduce  him  to 
you." 

Speaking  thus,  he  leaped  off  the  platform  and  came 
over  to  the  seat  where  the  old  man  sat  trembling,  with 
tears  in  his  eyes  and  said :  "  Come,  Mr.  LaCrosse,  I 
want  them  to  see  you  now."  And  the  old  man  said :  "  I 
do  not  believe  I  can  go  up  there,  sir,  this  is  so  sudden." 
But  the  other  gently  put  his  hand  in  the  old  man's  hand 
and  pulled  him  up,  and  they  came  upon  the  platform 
together.  As  they  faced  the  audience  that  was  in  tears, 
the  young  man  said :  "  'Now  cheer  him,  boys !  Cheer 
him ! "  And  how  they  cheered.  When  they  were 
through,  he  said  to  the  old  man :  "  Tell  them  what  is 
in  your  heart,  Mr.  LaCrosse."  And  the  old  man  sobbed 
out :  "  I  didn't  know  it  was  coming  out  this  way !  I 
didn't  know  it  was  coming  out  this  way!  But  thank 
God,  that  I  made  that  prayer,  and  that  I  live  to  see 
this  day !  " 

Idealization  summons  you  to  think ;  to  get  the  vision, 
that  you  may  create  the  conduct  that  brings  the  victory. 
No  man  is  greater  than  his  ideal.  To  get  idealization, 
is  to  take  your  place  with  the  great  anointed  men  of 
the  past,  for  the  work  that  God  can  do  through  you. 
Let  idealization  come  and  you  have  the  anointing  for 
a  masterful  career  that  finds  its  expression  in  noble 
conduct. 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CONDUCT       187 

Given  the  atmosphere  of  a  country,  you  can  determine 
the  nature  of  its  fauna  and  flora.  Given  the  ideals  of 
a  community,  a  nation,  you  can  ascertain  the  character 
of  its  citizenship. 

Generally  we  wed  our  conduct  to  our  ideals.  Look 
at  the  history  of  important  movements  and  see  how 
true  this  statement  is.  "  Who  led  the  harons  of  Runny- 
mede  when  they  wrested  from  King  John  the  charter 
of  liberty?  An  English  Bishop.  Who  headed  the 
peasants  in  securing  rights  that  belonged  to  them  under 
the  Magna  Charta  ?  A  priest,  John  Ball.  Who  refused 
absolution  to  Lorenzo  de  Medici  until  he  should  restore 
the  liberties  of  Florence?  Savonarola.  Who  cham- 
pioned the  rights  of  the  poor  in  1552  against  the 
tyranny  of  mediaeval  power  ?  A  preacher,  T.  Munger. 
Who  served  out  the  powder  at  the  taking  of  the  Bastile  ? 
A  priest.  Who  were  among  the  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence?  John  Witherspoon,  First 
Moderator  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presby- 
terians in  the  United  States."  Who  have  been  the 
leaders  of  all  the  great  movements  for  the  betterment 
of  mankind  in  these  modem  days  ?  Christian  men  and 
women,  with  mighty  ideals  of  right  and  justice. 

In  calling  for  more  ideal  conduct,  more  energy,  more 
Christian  knighthood,  more  manly  facing  and  grappling 
with  public  affairs,  we  are  only  summoning  men  to 
take  their  places  in  the  great  succession  of  God-called 
and  God-anointed  men  from  Moses  to  the  present  time. 

Conduct  stands  for  illumination.  Why  do  we  have 
schools?  To  illimiine  our  children's  minds,  that  their 
conduct  may  measure  up  to  the  best  of  life.    Why  do  we 


188  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

have  churches  given  to  us  by  Christ?  To  illumine  our 
conduct.  Why  does  the  Holy  Spirit  come  to  the  disciple 
of  Christ?  To  give  light  to  the  thought  and  conduct 
of  the  Christian.  There  is  all  the  difference  in  the  world 
between  illumination  of  books,  the  world's  intelligence 
and  that  given  by  God,  through  His  Holy  Spirit. 

This  is  illustrated  in  the  life  of  Paul.  No  man  had 
a  greater  education  in  his  day  than  he.  But  his  illumi- 
nation from  books  and  world's  teachers  sent  him  with 
fiery  enthusiasm  against  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 
But  another  illumination  came.  It  struck  him  to  the 
ground.  He  was  spoken  to  by  the  Lord,  and  what  is  his 
cry :  "  What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?  "  The  answer 
came  and  practically  was:  Become  an  apostle;  retrace 
your  steps;  wherever  you  have  persecuted  my  cause, 
go  preach  my  truth.  Instantly  he  arose  and  went,  and 
met  the  sneer  and  the  scoff  and  the  persecution  of  those 
who  hailed  him  because  of  his  conduct  resulting  from 
his  new  faith  and  illumination.  By  his  immediate  re- 
nunciation of  a  discovered  error  he  showed  his  sincerity. 
He  could  not  stand  by  a  lie ;  he  could  not  consecrate  his 
power  to  that  which  God  had  demonstrated  to  his  soul 
was  wrong. 

In  our  last  great  world  war,  President  Wilson  said  in 
May,  1916:  "  We  want  peace  for  two  reasons,  first,  be- 
cause we  love  it,  and  second,  because  we  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  present  quarrel."  But  a  few  months  later 
he  said :  ^^  The  old  age-long  struggle  for  freedom  and 
right  begins  again  at  its  beginning.  I  accept  the  chal- 
lenge. Force,  force  to  the  utmost,  force  without  stint 
or  limit,  the  righteous  and  triumphant  force  which 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CONDUCT       189 

shall  make  right  the  law  of  the  world  and  cast  every 
selfish  dominion  down  in  the  dust."  Why  did  he 
change?  Because  of  illumination.  There  had  come 
certain  great  discoveries  which  revealed  that  our  own 
democracy  was  at  stake  and  that  we  must  fight  for  our 
rights  and  relationships  iu  the  world. 

Happy  the  man,  the  nation,  that  falls  upon  knees  of 
prayer  when  the  new  light  comes.  There  is  no  use 
having  light  unless  we  give  ourselves  to  it.  Better  be 
without  illumination,  than  to  have  it,  and  not  live  up 
to  it. 

There  is  no  doubt  but  what  this  illumination  of  con- 
duct demands  sacrifice.  Very  often  this  higher  call 
comes  at  some  inconvenient  time.  You  are  busy  making 
money.  The  call  comes  at  some  time  when  you  want 
to  go  somewhere  else.  And  the  pathetic  thing  about 
all  this  is,  that  these  things  are  not  bad  things ;  they  are 
often  necessary  things.  But  we  are  apt  to  choose  the 
little,  the  obscure.  We  dissipate,  we  fail  in  the  presence 
of  the  greater.  When  we  come  to  add  up  our  years,  we 
find  the  main  ends  of  life  have  not  been  secured,  the 
highest  values  have  not  been  gained. 

"  We  must  say  whether  the  locusts  of  vice  shall  de- 
vour this  country ;  whether  the  Canaanite  with  his  abom- 
ination shall  sully  this  fair  land  of  promise;"  whether 
the  untaught  abomination  of  the  old  world's  scum  shall 
raise  the  banners  of  red  and  make  anarchism  master; 
whether  the  materialistic  temper  of  a  Judas-love  for 
money  and  a  Demas-care  for  the  world,  shall  destroy  our 
Sabbath  sanctity;  whether  the  life  of  Christ  shall  be 
made  manifest  through  us  for  the  salvation  of  the  race. 


190  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

We  want  a  great  civilization  here,  but  we  cannot  have 
it  without  idealizing  our  conduct  in  Christian  princi- 
ples; vtdthout  illuminating  our  path  with  the  light 
divine.  What  shall  it  profit  if  by  increase  of  goods,  our 
sons  and  daughters  decay!  We  cannot  have  a  greater 
outer  manhood  or  womanhood  without  first  having  a 
great  inner  manhood  and  womanhood  begotten  by  the 
Spirit  of  God. 

ISTot  to  meet  this  illumination  of  the  Spirit  is  to  drift 
back  in  mind  and  heart,  and  then  in  conduct.  The 
result  of  such  drifting  will  be  like  that  which  came  to 
a  noble  dog,  hero  in  ''  The  Call  of  the  Wild."  .Stolen 
from  his  master  he  was  taken  to  Alaska  where  he  was 
compelled  to  carry  the  mail  over  the  snow  and  ice.  His 
drunken  master  often  beat  him  and  neglected  him.  As 
a  result  he  became  more  rebellious  and  the  wolf  ancestry- 
appeared  now  and  then.  One  day,  he  was  rescued  from 
his  cruel  master  by  a  miner,  who  took  him  to  his  hut 
and  cared  for  him,  and  the  two  became  warm  friends. 
He  grew  strong  and  sleek  and  fat  again,  and  hated  all, 
save  his  master. 

One  night  the  Indians  came  in  upon  the  tent.  His 
master  fell  dead.  The  dog  wandered  out  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  now  the  wolf  began  to  get  the  ascendency. 
Henceforth,  he  put  down  the  old  life  and  took  on  the 
new  life.  The  wild  and  the  wolfish  were  given  rein. 
He  tasted  blood  of  the  moose  and  fox.  On  the  third 
night  ho  heard  steps  and  rustling  in  the  leaves.  It  was 
his  fellows,  the  wolves,  hunting  in  packs.  Then  Buck 
and  the  leader  met  and  fought  for  the  supremacy  and 
Buck  won.     A  half-hour  later  recognizing  their  new 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CONDUCT       191 

leader,  the  wolves  followed  him  and  he  hunted  with 
the  pack. 

I  am  sure  we  see  the  application  of  this  parable. 
To  let  go  the  best  and  noblest;  to  refuse  to  follow  the 
illumination  of  the  Spirit;  to  take  on  selfishness  and 
worldliness,  is  after  awhile  to  have  your  life  story 
written  in  these  words :  He  Hunted  with  the  Pack. 

At  Eeigate,  England,  in  the  grounds  of  the  ancient 
priory,  there  is  a  tree  which  is  known  as  the  tree  of 
decision.  TJnder  it  stood  Lady  Henry  Somerset  in 
the  darkest  hour  of  her  life.  The  foundations  of  her 
faith  seemed  to  be  giving  way.  She  was  struggling 
with  great  questions  of  faith.  There  came  to  her  this 
message  of  illumination :  "  Live  as  though  I  were,  and 
you  shall  know  that  I  am."  The  decision  was  made, 
and  God  became  real  to  her,  and  her  life  became  a 
mighty  force  for  good  conduct.     So  can  it  be  with  us. 

Conduct  stands  for  "  performation."  Conduct  is 
three-fourths  of  life.  And  conduct  is  "  performing 
righteously."  We  must  perform  to  save  ourselves  with 
the  world  and  God.  Wendell  Phillips  one  time  said: 
"  How  cautiously  men  sink  into  nameless  graves,  while 
now  and  then  one  forgets  himself  into  immortality." 
Forget  not  that  the  Master  said :  "  He  that  loses  his 
life  for  my  sake  shall  save  it." 

"  All  negative  religion,  all  passive  goodness,  all  self- 
righteous  correctness  of  life,  will  stand  stripped  and 
shivering  in  the  winds  of  the  judgment.  The  great 
word  of  Christianity  is  not  abstain,  but  perform;  is  not 
deny  but  afiirm.  Jesus  condemned  the  church  at 
Laodicea  by  saying ;  ^  Thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot.' 


192  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

If  a  man  is  cold,  heat  may  transform  him.  If  a  man 
is  positively,  forcefully  evil,  that  force  may  be  reversed 
and  thrown  into  channels  of  goodness.  But  if  a  man 
has  been  subject  to  heat  and  is  still  but  half -hot,  if  there 
be  neither  force  for  evil  nor  for  good  within  him,  his 
case  is  hopeless.  We  can  measure  ourselves  in  two 
ways.  One  is  the  way  of  the  Corinthians,  of  whom 
Paul  says :  ^  But  they  measuring  themselves  by  them- 
selves, and  comparing  themselves  among  themselves  are 
not  wise.'  We  compare  ourselves  with  those  about  us; 
and  thus  we  measure  ourselves  down.  We  seem  to 
stand  reasonably  well.  The  other  way  is  the  high  test, 
the  test  of  challenging  the  best  that  is  in  us.  We  come 
into  the  presence  of  Him  who  did  no  sin,  neither  was 
guile  found  in  his  mouth,  and  now  we  must  measure 
up." 

The  taking  of  Christ  into  your  life  rules  out  some 
things,  but  not  anything  that  ought  not  to  be  ruled 
out.  A  great  deal  of  wrong  thinking  comes  in  here. 
Men  say:  I  do  not  want  to  join  the  church  because  I 
must  give  up  this  or  that.  Well,  if  that  be  so,  you  ought 
to  give  them  up  anyway  and  make  your  life  all  it  can 
be.  Living  with  Christ  makes  a  man  live  as  he  ought 
to  live.  It  will  throw  him  into  antagonism  with  evil. 
Christ  lived  in  opposition  to  powers  that  finally  crushed 
Him,  but  He  was  endowed  with  the  spirit  of  the  resur- 
rection, and  so  will  the  man  be  who  lives  the  Christ 
life.  Paul  never  hesitated  to  stigmatize  and  curse  evil ! 
He  lost  his  life  because  of  his  bravery.  But  he  died 
climbing  upward  and  he  reaped  his  reward.  Theodore 
Roosevelt  stigmatized  dishonesty  and  injustice,  and  wop 


THE  PSYCHOLOGY  OF  CONDUCT       193 

his  place  in  history,  along  beside  that  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  as  honest  and  clean.  Conduct  means  performa- 
tion. 

What  will  true  performation  of  conduct  do  ?  It  can 
make  the  slave  Daniel  prime  minister  of  Babylon.  It 
can  take  Moses  and  make  him  the  saviour  of  his  country. 
It  can  take  Paul  and  enable  him  to  lead  out  a  great 
Gentile  race  into  the  light  of  truth.  It  can  take  you 
and  me  and  make  us  a  part  of  God's  plan  to  make  this 
world  righteous  and  holy. 

A  great  many  people  have  been  asking :  "  Why  did 
Jesus  come  into  this  world  ?  "  There  are  many  answers, 
but  one  of  them  is  found  in  what  Bishop  Shepard  says : 
"  He  came  to  get  some  hands  and  feet.  He  came  to 
get  some  hands  that  He  might  lay  them  upon  blind 
eyes,  and  behold  they  shall  see !  And  to  put  hands  upon 
ears,  and  they  shall  hear!  He  came  to  get  some  feet 
that  he  might  go  about  doing  good.  He  came  to  get 
some  lips  that  they  might  speak  messages  of  love.  And 
our  joy  is  that  we  may  be  so  identified  in  spirit  and 
task  with  Jesus  Christ  that  we  can  say :  ^  I  live,  and 
yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me,  and  the  life  I  now 
live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  faith  and  impulse  of  Jesus 
who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me.'  Blessed  ex- 
change— He  gave  His  glorious  self  for  my  selfish  self. 
And  now  the  life  I  live  I  live  for  Him  and  with  Him." 

When  the  plague  came  to  London,  King  Charles  fled 
the  city,  taking  with  him  all  his  money.  He  left 
nothing  behind  for  the  relief  of  his  people.  One  day 
he  returned  with  his  outriders  blowing  their  trumpets. 
Then  the  people  refused  him  welcome.     All  went  into 


194  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

their  homes  and  shut  the  doors.  That  night  like  a 
whipped  dog  the  monarch  crept  into  the  city,  hidden 
in  the  darkness. 

Many  a  man  will  go  to  the  judgment,  with  no  one  to 
come  and  meet  him.  He  is  neither  wanted  nor  expected 
in  heaven.  His  life  in  its  conduct  has  won  no  merits 
whatsoever.  But  the  man  who  makes  the  world  better, 
will  be  greeted  with  joy.  Death  will  stand  and  challenge 
every  man :  "  Hold !  who  comes  there  ?  "  And  the  answer 
will  be :  "A  man  bound  for  life !  "  And  the  challenge 
comes  again :  "  Give  the  countersign !  "  And  the  man 
who  passes  the  sentinel  must  be  able  to  say :  "  I  have 
bettered  the  world !  "  And  the  sentinel  will  say :  "  Pass 
on  through  the  gates  of  life !  " 


XI 

THE  WONDERLAND  OF  MEMORY 

THE  wonderland  of  the  mind  is  not  The  Grand 
Canyon  of  Arizona,  or  glorious  Yellowstone 
Park,  but  of  memory.  Such  a  land  is  no  poeti- 
cal fancy,  no  writer's  dream,  but  it  is  a  land  of  fact, 
fancy  and  wonderful  treasures. 

We  cannot  tell  what  the  nature  of  memory  is  in  its 
ability  to  remember  places,  scenes  and  thoughts  ut- 
tered, but  we  know  it  is  as  real  as  life  itself. 

Memory  has  been  called  the  cabinet  of  the  imagina- 
tion, the  treasury  of  reason,  the  registry  of  conscience 
and  the  council  chamber  of  thought.  It  is  recalling  past 
knowledge,  facts,  words,  faces,  pictures  and  events  that 
have  been  put  aside.  To  me  it  is  somewhat  like  a  store- 
bouse,  where  we  have  stored  up  our  reserves,  our  re- 
sources, until  we  want  to  use  them.  But  modern 
psychologists  do  not  like  this  figure.  They  believe 
memory  is  a  series  of  nerve  cell  paths,  each  of  which 
open  up  certain  kind  of  recollections.  Memory  is 
awakened  when  some  sensation  or  thought  travelling 
its  special  path,  sends  out  awakening  impulses  down 
neighbouring  and  connected  lines  of  nerve  cells.  Then, 
we  might  say  that  memory  is  a  good  deal  like  a  phono- 
graph record  which  has  certain  paths  of  words,  or  music, 
indentured  there,  and  which  are  brought  forth  by  the 

195 


196  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

moving  impulse  of  the  maeliinery,  set  in  motion  by  a 
mind.  This  is  a  "  long  way  round  "  to  memory  heing  a 
storehouse. 

We  know  that  memory  acts  through  perception,  re- 
tention, reproduction,  and  recognition.  Perception  is 
gaining  knowledge  through  the  senses.  Eetention  is 
the  power  by  which  knowledge  is  kept  in  the  subcon- 
scious mind,  to  be  reproduced  by  suggestion.  Repro- 
duction is  bringing  back  what  has  been  stored  up  there. 
Recognition  is  a  second  knowing,  a  knowing  of  what 
has  gone  before. 

Look  at  the  marvels  of  memory!  Muretus  tells  us 
that  there  was  at  Padua,  a  young  Corsican,  a  brilliant 
student  of  civil  law,  who  tested  his  wonderful  memory. 
Six  Venetian  noblemen  were  judges,  while  Muretus 
dictated  the  words  Latin,  Greek,  connected  and  dis- 
connected, until  he  wearied  himself  and  the  man  who 
wrote  them  down.  Afterward  the  young  man  repeated 
the  entire  list  of  words  in  the  same  order,  then  back- 
ward, then  every  other  word,  then  every  fifth  word,  and 
all  without  error. 

It  is  related  that  the  Librarian  for  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Tuscany  read  every  book  and  pamphlet  in  his  master's 
library  and  took  a  mental  photograph  of  each  page. 
When  asked  where  a  certain  passage  was  to  be  found, 
he  would  name  the  alcove,  shelf,  book  and  page  contain- 
ing the  passage  in  question. 

It  is  said  that  a  certain  Englishman  came  to  see 
Frederick  the  Great.  Voltaire  had  just  finished  a 
long  poem  which  Frederick  requested  him  to  read. 
Voltaire    did    so    in    the    hearing    of    the    English- 


THE  WONDERLAND  OF  MEMORY     197 

man,  who,  however,  was  concealed  from  his  view. 
When  the  author  had  finished  his  poem,  Frederick 
remarked  that  it  could  not  he  original,  for  there 
was  one,  a  foreigner  in  the  palace  who  could  recite 
every  word  of  it.  Voltaire  was  disposed  to  doubt  this, 
but  when  the  stranger  came  forward  and  recited  the 
poem  with  perfect  accuracy,  the  author  was  amazed, 
then  angry  and  in  his  passion  tore  the  manuscript  to 
pieces.  All  being  explained  to  Voltaire,  that  the 
stranger  had  only  repeated  his  poem,  Voltaire  relented 
and  copied  the  poem  from  a  second  repetition  of  it  by 
the  Englishman. 

Macaulay  claimed  that  he  had  never  forgotten  any- 
thing that  he  had  ever  read,  seen  or  thought  Ben 
Jonson  could  repeat  all  he  had  ever  written,  as  could 
Niebuhr,  the  historian. 

Our  best  students  of  mental  philosophy  believe  that 
no  thought,  scene,  enmity  or  aspiration  is  ever  forgot- 
ten. Some  touch  will  bring  them  all  back  again.  The 
memory  is  more  sensitive  than  the  thermometer,  more 
delicate  than  the  barometer,  and  all  its  processes  are 
registered  for  use.  It  is  the  marvel  of  the  mental  facul- 
ties, and  when  the  right  key  or  lever  is  touched,  produces 
the  wanted  fact  of  life. 

Man  is  measured  by  his  memory !  No  man  is  greater 
than  his  memory;  no  man  is  less  than  his  memory. 
Just  as  no  man  can  lift  more  than  his  strength;  just 
as  no  teacher  can  tell  more  than  she  knows;  just  as 
no  banker  can  give  out  more  than  his  deposits,  so  no 
man  can  go  beyond  his  memory.  It  is  his  capital;  it 
is  his  reservoir,  his  storehouse. 


198  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

"  Bj  threads  that  no  man  can  unravel,  we  are  bound 
to  the  past.  Everything  leaves  its  record  within  us, 
becomes  a  part  of  ourselves.  It  is  something  we  can 
never  escape,  can  never  shake  off.  The  incidents  of  the 
inner  world  of  memory  have  more  to  do  with  our  happi- 
ness and  peace,  than  the  real  facts  of  outer  life." 

Have  we  read  and  studied  books?  They  have  in- 
creased our  ability;  they  are  deposits  of  resources  for 
our  mental  use.  Have  we  heard  fine  music,  splendid 
lectures  ?  They  have  given  us  an  influx  of  power ;  they 
are  tributaries  of  mental  supply.  Have  we  travelled? 
All  the  scenes  are  stored  up  for  use.  We  are  measured 
by  all  these;  they  constitute  our  capital,  our  stock  in 
trade.  Suppose  we  should  be  stripped  of  all  these 
things  ?    How  poor,  how  bare,  how  empty  life  would  be ! 

I  have  in  mind  one  of  the  greatest  men  in  the  past, 
of  our  country.  He  was  known  throughout  the  world 
for  the  brilliancy  of  his  intellect  and  educational  organi- 
zation. He  has  moved  great  audiences  and  commanded 
every  platform,  anywhere,  everywhere.  He  is  still  alive 
at  this  writing,  but  his  memory  is  impaired  and  his 
friends  do  not  allow  him  to  speak,  if  they  can  help  it. 
He  cannot  command  his  memory — he  is  less  now,  where 
once  he  was  more,  because  of  memory. 

Memory  constitutes  our  identity  in  life.  We  can  do 
nothing  without  it.  "  Apart  from  memory,  every  mind 
would  be  a  blank,  waiting  for  the  next  impression 
which  would  be  lost  as  soon  as  obtained,  and  every 
personality  would  be  a  series  of  successive  and  separate 
states  of  consciousness  having  no  necessary  connection 
one  with  the  other."     Memory  like  a  golden  thread, 


THE   WONDERLAND  OF  MEMORY      199 

gathers  up  the  past  upon  its  own  continuities — and  all 
thought  and  progress  are  in  the  keeping  of  memory. 

There  are  some  people  in  insane  asylums  who  are 
not  known.  They  have  lost  identity  through  loss  of 
memory.  They  will  never  find  themselves,  until  they 
find  their  memory. 

Through  memory  we  hring  ourselves  back  as  we 
were  twenty-five  years  ago,  and  we  recognize  that  pic- 
ture taken  then  through  memory.  The  body,  face  and 
whole  aspect  of  form  are  different,  but  we  own  ourselves 
through  memory.  We  have  but  to  close  our  eyes,  and 
see  those  days,  the  home  we  lived  in,  the  friends  we 
associated  with,  and  all  comes  to  us  afresh,  and  memory 
gives  us  the  positive  guarantee  of  identity  of  self.  We 
cannot  disown  ourselves. 

Many  years  ago  a  child  in  Pennsylvania  was  stolen 
from  home  by  the  Indians,  who  brought  her  up  in  the 
Indian  life.  When  she  was  about  ten  years  of  age,  the 
Indians  were  captured  by  the  government  and  a  number 
of  white  children  brought  to  the  settlement  with  them, 
for  identification.  The  mother  of  the  lost  child  was 
there  peering  into  the  face  of  every  one  of  the  girls, 
seeking  her  own.  But  she  could  not  discover  her  among 
the  girls.  Saddened  she  stepped  back  in  utter  despair 
when  the  Commandant  asked  her  if  there  was  not  some 
other  way  she  might  identify  her  lost  child.  The  mother 
said  she  could  not  remember  any  mark,  but  she  did  sing 
a  lullaby  each  night  to  her  child  when  she  put  her  to 
sleep.  The  officer  suggested  that  she  sing  that  lullaby. 
The  mother  began  to  sing  it,  and  as  she  went  on  one 
of  the  girls  stirred,  became  agitated,  moved  forward  a 


200  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

bit,  and  a  look  of  surprise  came,  and  then  she  leaped 
forward,  crying :  "  Me  mudder !  Me  mudder ! " 
Memory  had  at  last  identified  the  past  relation  and  the 
mother  found  her  daughter.  Thus  in  memory  we  have 
a  positive  guarantee  of  ourself. 

Memory  is  our  greatest  sanctuary !  It  is  filled  with 
the  warm  feelings,  emotions  and  romances  of  the  soul. 
It  should  be  the  holy  of  holies  to  us. 

In  ancient  times,  it  was  the  custom  to  set  aside  certain 
churches  or  dedicated  buildings  as  places  of  sanctuary. 
A  man  flying  from  his  foes ;  a  criminal  flying  from  his 
pursuers,  might  be  safe  inside  these  places  until  other 
security  could  be  had,  or  justice  could  be  done.  Our 
modern  system  of  police  and  law  were  not  then  in 
existence.  So  those  who  believed  themselves  wronged 
would  take  punishment  into  their  own  hands  with  the 
consequence  that  sometimes  the  wrong  man  would  suffer. 

We  no  longer  have  need  of  that  kind  of  sanctuary. 
But  we  do  and  always  will  need  the  sanctuary  of 
memory.  Here  we  can  see  and  review  our  joys  and 
associations  of  life.  Here  is  a  wonderful  refuge  of 
comfort.  Remembered  fields;  remembered  talks,  re- 
membered faces,  make  well  springs  of  water  for  thirsty, 
hearts  and  sorrowing  minds.  Here  in  this  sanctuary  we 
live  over  again  with  mother,  father,  husband,  wife, 
sister,  brother,  child  and  friends.  The  gladness  we 
have  had,  the  friends  we  have  prized,  the  joyous  ex- 
periences, all  make  memory  a  sacred  spot  in  which  to 
linger. 

How  the  aged  like  to  look  back  over  the  past  and 
linger  over  blessed  scenes  in  their  lives !     When  one 


THE   WONDERLAND  OF  MEMORY     201 

has  climbed  a  mountain  and  he  is  near  the  top,  he  often 
looks  back  at  the  scenes  passed  and  the  incidents  along 
the  way.  He  looks  back  at  this  companion,  that  event, 
and  in  the  sanctuary  of  memory  finds  the  hallowedness 
of  his  declining  days. 

What  a  sanctuary  Mrs.  Roosevelt  finds  in  memory! 
The  wonderful  hours  of  achievement  with  her  husband, 
the  many  scenes  witnessed  and  associated  in  his  life, 
the  stirring  events  of  useful  days  and  the  blessed  hours 
with  Quentin,  the  remembrance  of  his  voice,  words, 
movements;  all  these  make  memory  the  sweetest  place 
in  her  life. 

And  what  movements  and  powers  and  resources  are 
in  memory!  We  note  the  resources  of  the  soil,  the 
mines,  the  se?.  and  the  air !  But  these  are  not  surpass- 
ing those  of  memory  in  man,  which  furnishes  the  tools 
for  the  working  through  inventive  genius,  the  materials 
of  the  world. 

We  naturally  think  of  Edison,  Burbank,  Howe,  Field, 
Wright  and  many  others  of  like  kind,  but  how  about 
Browning,  Emerson,  Shakespeare  and  James?  All 
these  testify  of  the  ability  of  memory. 

But  look  at  our  subject  at  a  little  different  angle. 
There  was  Grant,  lacking  in  business,  uneasy  at  manual 
labour,  a  thorn  in  his  father's  mind.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out  he  asked  his  father  for  a  loan  of  one 
hundred  dollars  in  order  to  get  a  commission  in  the 
Union  Army.  He  must  have  this  to  get  his  outfit. 
His  father  said :  "  You  are  not  worth  it,"  and  passed 
into  his  store  and  left  him  wondering  and  angry  at 
his  reply.     As  he  stood  there,  his  father's  partner,  a 


202  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Southern  gentleman  came  along  and  seeing  Ulysses 
looking  glum  and  disgusted,  he  said :  "  What  is  the 
matter,  Ulysses  ? "  And  Grant  said :  "  I  asked  my 
father  for  a  loan  of  one  hundred  dollars  to  buy  my 
outfit  so  that  I  might  get  a  commission  in  the  Union 
Army  and  he  said :  I  was  not  worth  it,  and  passed  into 
the  store."  "Well,  Ulysses,'^  said  the  partner,  "I 
will  loan  it  to  you,"  and  he  did.  And  it  was  a  Southern 
man  who  brought  Ulysses  Grant  into  the  service  of  his 
country  and  helped  him  to  the  place  that  he  ultimately 
won.  When  Ulysses  Grant  came  home  from  the  war, 
his  father  went  out  to  meet  him. 

Who  could  have  seen  the  mighty  will,  the  tremendous 
perseverance,  the  alert  mind,  the  keen  analyser,  the 
military  genius  wrapped  up  in  the  memory  of  Grant? 
]^o  one !  and  yet,  all  was  there  in  embryo,  awaiting  the 
hour  that  should  call  it  forth. 

In  all  of  God's  children  are  hidden  such  resources 
and  forces  as  make  man  mighty  and  great  in  achieve- 
ment !  What  inspiration !  There  is  hidden  in  each  one 
of  us,  the  powers  that  can  give  us  ultimate  and  magnifi- 
cent success! 

Memory  plays  the  part  of  warning  in  our  life.  Were 
it  not  for  this  faculty  our  life  would  be  utterly  dis- 
organized. Morality  would  be  impossible  did  we  not 
remember  the  things  that  serve  as  a  lesson  of  guidance. 
"  The  mariner  sailing  through  an  untried  sea  observes 
that  here  is  deep  and  open  sailing ;  that  on  this  side  is  a 
hidden  shoal ;  on  that  a  rock  which  is  covered  at  high 
tide  but  bare  at  low  tide.  He  sets  these  things  down 
on  his  chart,  thus  making  a  paper  memory  that  any 


THE   WONDERLAND  OF  MEMORY     203 

intelligent  seaman  may  hereafter  use  as  a  practical 
guide  for  his  course.  So  we  learn  to  navigate  the 
future  because  we  remember  the  experiences  that  are 
behind  us.  We  learn  by  the  record  of  the  past,  the 
principles  by  which  we  guide  ourselves  in  the  present.'' 

Many  years  ago,  I  took  by  mistake  a  teaspoonful  of 
poison.  I  did  not  carefully  look  at  the  bottle  as  I 
should.  Instantly  I  knew  my  mistake,  and  by  quick 
work,  saved  my  life.  'Now  I  never  take  up  a  bottle,  but 
what  I  look  at  it  most  carefully.  It  is  not  likely  that 
I  ever  will  make  that  mistake  again ;  memory  warns  me 
every  time. 

Memory  is  to  be  our  book  of  life.  We  should  not 
forget  that  our  life  is  being  written  day  by  day,  and 
we  must  take  it  along  with  us  through  all  the  years. 
Now  is  the  time  to  make  up  the  plot;  to  arrange  the 
characters;  give  out  the  parts,  and  arrange  the  finale. 
Already  we  have  put  in  parts  which  we  wish  might 
be  erased  or  changed,  but  it  cannot  be  done.  There  are 
sad  memories  of  mistakes  made,  sins  committed,  lives 
injured.  They  are  remediless.  "  An  act,  when  it  is 
once  behind  us,  cannot  be  grasped  and  annihilated. 
The  universe  never  wipes  out  anything  that  is  a  fact. 
Blessed  are  they  who  see  to  it  that  they  do  not  speak 
the  words  that  they  wish  blotted  out,  that  they  do  not 
commit  the  deeds  that  they  would  not  like  to  recall ! '' 

^'  If  a  man  started  to  travel  through  Europe  for  the 
purpose  of  gathering  up  a  series  of  pictures  to  be  hung 
in  his  room  when  he  returned  home,  and  to  be  the 
scenes  on  which  he  must  gaze  through  all  the  rest  of 
his  life,  how  careful  he  would  be  in  the  selections  made ! 


204  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

We  are  like  such  a  man  in  that  we  are  gathering  pictures 
that  we  shall  have  to  look  at  with  regret  and  shame  or 
with  interest  and  joy.  Thrice  blessed  are  they  who, 
when  they  unlock  the  doors  and  enter  the  picture  gal- 
leries of  memory,  take  comfort  and  peace  in  what  they 
find  therein !  " 

And  do  not  these  very  thoughts  indicate  that  memory 
is  to  be  a  part  of  our  heaven !  What  can  we  take  with  us 
there  ?  We  cannot  take  our  money,  our  lands,  our  homes, 
our  bodies,  for  these  are  not  the  properties  of  heaven. 
We  can  take  with  us  our  memories  of  these  things,  that, 
and  nothing  else. 

The  Eastern  Orientalist  has  a  doctrine  of  Karma 
which  is  at  least  interesting.  What  is  Karma?  It  is 
that  our  deeds,  our  thoughts,  the  emotions  we  cherish 
and  all  the  incidents  of  our  lives  continually  live  within 
our  soul  and  are  carried  along  with  us,  and  that  this 
load  of  memory,  this  Karma,  detennines  our  destiny  in 
this  and  all  worlds.  The  material  is  left  behind,  but 
the  spirit  that  was  in  the  things,  is  carried  on  forever. 

Before  the  war,  in  northern  France,  there  were 
thousands  and  thousands  of  acres  of  roses.  These 
were  gathered  by  the  workers,  denuded  of  their  petals, 
and  taken  to  the  hydraulic  presses  where  every  ounce  of 
sap  is  pressed  from  the  flowers.  This  is  distilled  until 
at  last  whole  acres  of  roses  are  translated  into  a  few 
ounces  of  perfume. 

Is  not  the  ending  of  life  such  a  process  ?  From  off 
the  wide  flung  fields  of  life,  are  harvested  our  deeds, 
the  weeds  with  the  roses,  good  and  bad  actions;  all  this 
is  gathered  up  into  the  strange  mill  of  death  and  all  is 


THE   WONDERLAND  OF   MEMORY      205 

transformed  into  memory  !  Nothing  left  but  memory ! 
That  will  be  a  part  of  our  heaven.  Verily  it  will  be 
true  that  the  memory  of  the  righteous  will  be  blessed. 

Memory  is  likely  to  be  our  hell !  Hell  is  not  a  literal 
fire,  for  that  could  be  put  out ;  this  fire  is  unquenchable. 
It  is  the  outer  darkness  of  memory ;  the  gnashing  of  mis- 
spent lives;  the  wailing  of  sinful  recollections.  What 
sinful  man  or  woman  likes  to  be  alone  with  their 
thoughts  !  Amusement,  excitement,  drugs — anything 
but  normal  thoughts  and  the  searching  light  of  right- 
eousness !  To  live  with  one's  self,  and  to  note  the  evil 
done,  the  wrong  set  in  motion,  to  see  the  end  of  it  all, 
in  the  light  of  God's  glorious  day,  will  be  hell. 

There  is  a  man  going  up  and  down  in  a  place  of  con- 
finement, whose  one  wail  is :  ^^  If  I  only  had  1  If  I 
only  had !  "  No  one  knows  what  he  means,  but  there 
is  a  tortured  memory  there. 

^'  Hell  hath  no  limits,  nor  is  circumscrib'd 
In  one  self-place ;  for  where  we  are  is  hell ; 
And  where  hell  is,  there  must  we  ever  be; 
And  to  conclude,  when  all  the  world  dissolves. 
And  every  creature  shall  be  purified, 
All  places  shall  be  hell  that  are  not  heaven." 

Memory  then,  is  conscience.  As  long  as  memory 
lasts,  conscience  will  last.  In  "  Twice  Told  Tales," 
there  is  a  sketch  called,  "  Fancy's  Show  Box,"  in  which 
Hawthorne  shows  an  old  gentleman  sitting,  musing 
over  his  glass  of  wine.  Three  figures  enter  the  room, 
symbolizing  Fancy,  Memory  and  Conscience.  Memory 
and  Conscience  take  their  places  on  each  side  of  his 


206  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

chair,  while  Fancy  lays  down  some  pictures  for  the 
man  to  see.  A  scene  is  put  before  his  eyes,  in  which  he 
appears  to  be  breaking  the  heart  of  a  country  maiden; 
another  shows  him  aiming  a  blow  at  the  life  of  a 
bosom  friend  and  a  third  shows  him  trying  to  get  away 
from  three  helpless  orphans,  their  rightful  possessions. 
All  these  are  reconstructed  through  memory,  while  con- 
science stimulates  and  spiritualizes  his  sense  of  right 
and  wrong,  and  brings  conviction  to  his  heart. 

This  picture  of  Hawthorne  shows  "  that  God  has 
endowed  the  mind  with  power  to  carry  forward  all  it 
sees  and  hears  and  thinks."  Such  a  tablet  is  imperish- 
able. You  may  put  truth  on  paper,  but  the  paper  will 
moulder;  put  it  into  institutions,  but  they  will  dis- 
solve as  a  cloud ;  put  it  on  marble  or  brass,  but  these 
are  corruptible,  but  put  into  an  immortal  mind  and 
spirit  and  it  lives  forever  and  ever.  So  is  it  with  all 
things  in  life ;  the  mind  carries  it  forward  for  the  con- 
science to  act  upon. 

Did  you  read  the  story  of  Alfred  Beit,  the  diamond 
king  of  South  Africa !  When  he  was  a  young  man  he 
was  anxious  to  get  into  the  diamond  business.  He 
knew  there  were  diamonds  to  be  had ;  how  to  get  to  the 
natives  that  had  them,  was  the  question.  He  applied 
to  an  old  Boer  who  always  had  uncut  diamonds,  offer- 
ing a  generous  sum  if  he  would  tell  him  how  to  start 
the  diamond  business,  but  the  old  man  shook  his  head 
and  said  he  knew  nothing  about  it. 

But  he  watched  the  old  Boer  ride  out  early  on  an  old 
white  horse,  day  after  day,  and  this  was  a  part  of  the 
information  he  wanted.     He  bought  the  old  horse,  pay- 


THE   WONDERLAND  OF   MEMORY      207 

ing  three  times  what  it  was  worth  on  the  ground  that 
he  had  to  have  a  horse  in  a  hurry. 

The  next  day  he  rode  before  daylight  to  the  house 
of  the  Boer  of  whom  the  horse  had  been  bought.  He 
rode  into  the  gate  and  out  again,  and  left  the  reins  loose 
on  the  old  horse's  neck.  He  took  him  to  the  hut  of 
every  native  of  whom  the  old  Boer  had  bought  diamonds. 
The  old  horse  gave  confidence  to  the  natives  and  they 
sold  their  diamonds  to  Beit,  who  would  pay  them  more 
than  had  the  old  Boer.  In  this  way  he  became  the 
diamond  king.  This  ought  to  concentrate  our  minds 
on  the  thought  that  memory  leads  to  the  diamond  con- 
science always  and  forever,  and  we  get  what  we  have 
paid  for  in  deeds  and  thoughts. 

Memory  enduring  makes  love  enduring.  It  would  be 
a  terrible  thing  to  go  out  into  the  great  unknown  utterly 
alone,  to  move  through  worlds  unrealized,  to  find  nothing 
familiar,  nothing  hospitable,  nothing  that  grips  our 
hearts,  only  the  bleak  emptiness  and  unpeopled  solitude 
of  the  eternal.  It  would  make  death  a  horrible  night- 
mare if  at  its  door,  all  love  was  abandoned,  or  lost. 
But  memory  tells  ns  this  is  impossible,  because  love  al- 
ways lives,  it  is  the  one  great  reality  of  the  universe. 
Though  all  else  fail,  '^  love  never  faileth.'* 

Penelope  kept  love's  altar  burning  in  her  memory 
for  many  years,  and  refused  all  suitors,  hoping,  trust- 
ing and  believing  that  Ulysses  would  return,  and  when 
he  did,  memory  had  held  love  true  and  devoted  for  him 
through  all  vicissitudes. 

Memory  kept  the  father's  heart  tender  and  loving 
while  the  younger  son  was  in  the  far  country  of  sin 


208  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

and  riotous  living.  And  when  the  son  returned,  he 
found  it  again  in  loving  forgiveness  and  wonderful  ten- 
derness of  joy. 

The  memory  of  a  great  love,  brought  Jane  to  Garth 
in  "  The  Rosary,^'  when  he  became  blind,  and  needed 
help  and  care.  It  awoke  the  old  fire  in  Garth's  heart, 
and  it  burned  through  prejudice  and  stubbornness  to 
victory  and  happiness  in  both  of  their  hearts. 

^o,  we  shall  never  lose  our  loves.  They  will  endure 
and  become  a  part  of  our  paradise  in  the  city  of  God. 

Can  we  forget?  Well,  to  forget  is  almost  as  im- 
portant as  to  remember.  The  mind  must  not  be  over- 
loaded, so  try  and  forget  the  things  that  are  of  no 
importance.  Make  good  selection  of  the  things  to  be 
retained.  It  is  well  to  put  the  emphasis  upon  the  big 
and  true,  and  to  relegate  to  oblivion  the  hates,  the  sores, 
the  injustices,  we  do  not  want  to  remember. 

What  shall  I  remember  ?  That  God  loves  you  dearly. 
Go  where  you  will,  you  cannot  escape  that  love.  You 
may  forget  Him,  but  He  does  not  forget  you.  You  may 
forsake  Him,  but  He  will  not  forsake  you.  He  literally 
pursues  you  with  His  love. 

Remember  that  you  live  this  life  but  once.  Make 
the  most  of  it  as  you  travel  forward.  Scatter  the  good, 
not  the  evil.  Radiate  the  best  not  the  worst.  Get  rid 
of  the  grouch,  and  give  the  smile.  Hold  to  truth  not 
to  falsehood.  Cling  to  virtue,  give  up  vice ;  take  Christ 
and  not  evil. 

You  can  strengthen  memory  by  knowing  that  it  is  not 
only  a,  gift,  but  that  it  is  also  acquired.  Music  is  a 
gift,  but  it  is  also  acquired  in  greater  degree. 


THE   WONDERLAND  OF  MEMORY     209 

You  can  acquire  memory  by  getting  a  sound  body. 
vWhen  the  body  is  fresb  and  vigorous,  plentifully  sup- 
plied with  good  blood,  impressions  are  more  easily 
made.     Memory  then  becomes  indelible. 

Memory  becomes  greater  through  getting  all  the 
knowledge  you  can.  The  more  you  know  about  your 
subject,  the  more  easily  and  accurately  do  you  re- 
member what  you  read  concerning  it. 

Hold  to  the  fact  that  memory  is  worked  up  through 
the  senses.  There  are  five  of  them,  and  all  should 
be  given  opportunity  to  help.  Seeing,  hearing,  writing, 
talking  a  thing  makes  it  impossible  to  forget.  Thus 
we  use  the  memory  in  all  directions.  The  exercise  of 
the  ear  in  hearing  does  not  improve  the  power  of  vision. 
N^apoleon  wrote  on  a  slip  of  paper  the  name  which 
he  wished  to  remember  and  then  threw  the  paper  away. 
He  wrote  to  get  the  impression  through  the  eye  and 
hand  as  well  as  the  ear. 

Give  attention  to  what  you  do.  Attention  is  selective 
relations.  It  is  interest  in  what  you  are  doing.  One- 
half  of  the  deafness  that  exists  today,  is  the  result  of 
inattention.  The  highest  degree  of  attention  is  ob- 
tained only  when  concentration  accompanies  it. 

You  also  fiji  memory  by  association.  Every  memory 
culture  course  gives  this  prominence.  You  associate 
a  man  by  his  business,  profession,  place  or  where  you 
first  met  him.    Attention  fixes,  while  association  recalls. 

Repetition  fixes  memory.  If  you  wish  to  remember  a 
name,  repeat  it.  Keep  thinking  about  the  thing 
until  it  has  become  a  part  of  your  life.  A  good  habit 
helps  to  secure  the  best  memory.     Memory  is  jealous 


210  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

of  distrust  and  she  feels  herself  slighted  when  the 
notebook  is  resorted  to  in  the  most  trivial  affairs.  The 
servant,  then,  becomes  the  master  and  the  poor  slave 
carries  his  memorandum  book.  The  habit  of  holding 
yourself  through  good  will  to  remember,  brings  wonder- 
ful results.  Make  yourself  remember  by  exercising  the 
habit  of  willing  yourself  to  retain  what  you  have  to  do 
or  have  heard. 

A  good  memory  does  not  necessarily  demand  that  you 
shall  commit  everything  to  rote  work.  If  a  lecturer  does 
this  he  loses  something  of  the  subconscious  freedom  that 
gives  him  power  over  his  audience.  But  he  should  know 
his  subject  well  and  be  able  to  remember  the  outline 
and  general  ideas  of  his  subject. 

The  reason  for  better  memory  in  adults  is  in  their 
greater  ability  to  concentrate  their  attention,  their  wider 
knowledge,  with  its  fine  wealth  of  associations. 

It  has  also  been  proven  that  rapid  workers  remember 
more  of  what  they  learn,  than  those  who  are  slow  in 
acquiring  facts.  Children  excel  adults  in  rote  learning 
because  they  are  more  accustomed  to  memory  work. 
But  as  soon  as  adults  have  had  practice  in  this  line 
of  memory  work,  they  surpass  children.  Mature  persons 
are  not  willing  to  submit  to  the  drudgery  of  rote  learn- 
ing. 

The  Christian  life  is  the  secret  of  a  regenerated  mem- 
ory that  gives  man  the  ultimate  goal  of  his  being.  In 
Jesus  Christ  there  is  an  escape  from  the  bitterness  of 
memory. 

In  ancient  mythology  there  was  a  river  called  Lethe. 
Whoever  drank  of  its  water  instantly  forgot  all  the  past. 


THE   WONDERLAND  OF  MEMORY     211 

In  that  age,  as  in  every  age,  there  were  those  who  had 
lived  in  such  a  way  that  they  longed  to  forget.  So 
they  invented  the  story  of  Lethe,  the  River  of  Forget- 
fulness.  Alas,  for  those  who  desired  it,  for  it  is  naught 
but  a  pure  invention,  a  mere  fable.  However  much 
men  may  desire  it,  there  is  no  land  of  forgetfulness. 
Men  have  tried  many  opiates,  but  memory  still  lives 
and  again  and  again  awakens  to  plague  them.  But  in 
Jesus  Christ,  ^^  there  is  therefore  now  no  condemna- 
tion." "  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee."  "  Thy  sins  and 
thy  iniquities  shall  be  remembered  no  more  forever. 
I  will  cast  them  behind  me."  Sin  can  be  forgotten 
after  it  has  been  forgiven.  ^^  If  we  confess  our  sins, 
God  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins."  "  He 
is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost  all  those  who  come 
unto  the  Father  through  Him." 

I  believe  that  in  the  grace  of  God,  the  rivers  of  whose 
mercy  flow  forth  to  all  men,  there  is  a  transforming, 
disciplining,  renewing  and  glorifying  power  for 
memory  by  which  heaven  is  made  possible. 

And  while  it  is  true  that  the  past  cannot  be  taken 
out  of  our  memory;  it  is  gloriously  true,  that  we  can 
be  so  absorbed  with  the  present,  and  interested  in  that 
which  is  now  passing,  that  we  shall  be  taken  up  with 
that  which  is,  rather  than  that  which  was. 

Open  not  the  books  of  memory,  0  Lord,  for  therein 
is  my  bitterness  and  weakness  and  death.  Open  Thou 
the  Book  of  Life  for  me,  with  all  its  vitality  and  crea- 
tive power,  and  out  of  what  I  am,  in  Thy  grace  enable 
me  to  become  the  man  that  Thou  hast  purposed  for  me 
in  Thy  Infinite  Love.     Amen. 


xn 

A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS 

THE  pearl  is  more  often  mentioned  in  sacred 
and  profane  history  than  any  other  jewel.  It 
has  always  been  the  symbol  of  purity.  Therefore 
it  is  the  favourite  stone  of  the  Bible.  Pliny  asserted 
that  the  oysters  rise  in  the  night  to  the  surface  of  the 
water,  to  feed  upon  the  dews  of  heaven,  which  the 
sun's  rays  upon  the  water  nourished  into  pearls.  The 
Talmud  informs  us  that  !N'oah  had  no  other  light  in  the 
ark  than  that  which  came  from  precious  stones.  And 
the  Bible  indicates  that  pearls  are  so  beautiful  that 
God  chose  their  lustre  for  the  gates  of  heaven. 

Is  it  any  wonder  that  from  early  history,  pearls  have 
been  gathered  into  necklaces  and  worn  for  their  beauty 
and  the  glory  of  their  symbolism?  Perhaps  the  most 
valuable  necklace  was  that  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots, 
which  was  valued  at  several  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
This  would  not  be  a  high  estimate  when  we  remember 
that  Cleopatra  melted  in  wine  a  pearl  valued  at  three 
hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  dollars;  and  that 
Caesar  gave  to  Servilla,  mother  of  Brutus,  a  pearl 
valued  at  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

As  a  result  of  the  value  of  pearls,  and  their  sym- 
bolism, a  demand  is  constant  for  necklaces  made  out  of 

212 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  213 

them.  To  meet  this  demand  there  has  come  a  cultiva- 
tion of  the  pearl  oyster  business  in  Japan  by  Kokichi 
Mikimoto.  A  small  seed  pearl,  or  round  piece  of  nacre, 
is  introduced  into  the  shell  of  the  oyster.  This  serves 
as  the  nucleus.  The  shells  are  then  put  back  into  the 
sea  and  left  there  at  least  for  four  years.  Then  they 
are  taken  up  and  opened  and  about  one-third  give  forth 
beautiful  pearls  no  different  from  those  made  by  the 
oyster  itself  by  some  secretion  or  irritating  substance 
that  may  be  brought  into  the  shell  under  the  ocean.  Out 
of  these  cultivated  pearls  many  necklaces  are  being 
made  today. 

Wonderful  as  this  story  is,  there  is  yet  a  more  won- 
derful story  of  how  we  may  cultivate  pearls  of  thought 
and  speech  and  action  into  a  necklace  more  marvellous, 
more  beautiful,  and  more  adorning  than  those  that  may 
be  made  uj^  from  the  pearls  of  the  oysters.  What  are 
some  of  these  pearls  that  should  make  up  a  necklace 
for  us  to  wear,  that  would  make  us  beautiful  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  man? 

The  first  pearl  is  vision.  Happy  the  man  who  gets 
the  vision  of  glory  as  did  John  when  he  saw  the  Holy 
City  with  its  gates  of  pearls. 

"Chisel  in  hand  stood  a  sculptor's  boy, 

With  his  marble  black  before  him. 
And  his  face  lit  up  with  a  smile  of  joy 

As  an  angel  dream  passed  o'er  him. 
He  carved  the  dream  on  the  shapeless  stone. 

With  many  a  sharp  incision; 
With  heavenly  light  the  sculpture  shone, 

He  had  caught  the  angel  vision. 


214  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  i^ACE 

"  Sculptors  of  life  are  we  as  we  stand 

With  our  souls  uncarved  before  us, 
Waiting  the  time  when,  at  God's  command 

Our  life  dream  passes  o'er  us. 
If  we  carve  it  then  on  the  shapeless  stone. 

With  many  a  sharp  incision. 
Its  heavenly  beauty  shall  be  our  own. 

Our  lives  that  angel  vision." 

At  the  heart  of  all  the  finest  expression  of  human 
energy  lies  a  vision,  furnishing  the  motive  and  stimulus 
into  the  country  of  realization.  Whatever  is  in  the 
inner  thought  will  be  expressed  in  the  outer  revela- 
tion. There  cannot  be  an  evolution  without  an  involu- 
tion. If  a  banker  has  only  the  thought  of  money  in  his 
mind,  he  will  have  only  money  in  his  experience. 

"  God  speaks  to  a  bee  in  the  hive,  so  that  he  moves 
by  some  marvellous  instinct  over  miles  of  fields  and  back 
again  on  a  straight  line.  God  speaks  to  the  bird  when 
the  leaves  begin  to  fall  and  the  frosts  begin  to  come, 
and  the  bird  spreads  its  wings  and  flies  away  to  the 
land  of  flowers  and  sunshine."  And  God  speaks  to 
man  by  a  vision  that  calls  him  away  from  the  low  and 
the  sordid  to  the  beautiful  and  high. 

When  we  have  a  nation's  vision  we  will  have  its 
history.  Babylon  had  a  vision  of  material  riches  and 
glory.  She  substituted  grossness  for  principle,  lust  for 
virtue,  gold  for  righteousness,  mammon  for  God,  and 
she  fell. 

When  we  have  a  man's  vision,  we  can  tell  his  history. 
Read  the  Memoirs  of  Bismarck,  written  by  himself,  and 
you  will  see  that  he  meant  to  make  his  country  a  first 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  215 

power  at  every  hazard.  And  tMs  was  the  vision  of 
Emperor  William,  and  he  failed,  because  it  was  not 
begotten  of  God.  'No  wonder  that  pearls  sometimes 
stand  for  tears !  Germany's  vision  was  not  one  of 
God's  pearls,  but  was  of  the  earth  and  it  was  dissolved 
in  dust  and  ashes. 

Tissot  caught  a  vision  of  the  Christ,  and  he  gave 
up  the  material  and  the  sensual  and  painted  Him  who 
transformed  him  into  fame  and  honour  for  all  time. 

Millet  was  reborn  into  a  life  of  high  and  noble 
imagination  that  gave  him  the  new  birth  of  construc- 
tive painting,  when  he  followed  the  vision  of  the  better 
and  fame  came  to  him  through  "  The  x\ngelus." 

God  whispered  to  Luther  in  a  vision  and  he  said: 
"  I  will  not  recant."  A  young  man  failing  as  a  teacher 
in  a  public  school,  drank  of  the  cup  of  vision  and  he 
came  forth  as  Phillips  Brooks.  A  young  lawyer,  related 
to  the  aristocracy,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  with  little  to 
do,  had  a  vision  of  the  rights  of  the  slave,  and  he  became 
the  mighty  and  eloquent  Wendell  Phillips. 

May  it  not  be  that  today  our  minds  need  to  be  taken 
up  into  the  sky  through  the  power  of  vision  and  be 
reborn,  if  we  are  to  make  ourselves  worth  while  to  the 
world?  We  should  see  ourselves  as  we  can  be,  rather 
than  as  we  are.  Our  life  needs  toning  up  and  vision  is 
the  means  ordained  of  God  for  the  accomplishment  of 
this  purpose. 

The  man  who  will  rise  above  the  spending  and  the 
getting,  the  warring  and  the  sensualing,  the  social  and 
the  frivolous,  must  be  a  man  of  powerful  vision. 
Erskine  wrote  in  his  diary :  '^  That  day  I  got  my  head 


216  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

out  of  Time  into  Eternity."  Reader,  get  your  heart 
and  head  out  of  the  actual  into  the  potential,  out  of 
matter  into  vision.  Eternity  crowned  men  will  be 
visioning  men  on  the  earth. 

The  second  pearl  of  our  necklace  is  beauty.  The 
pearli  declares  that  God  is  a  lover  of  beauty;  and  the 
wearer  of  the  pearl  declares  he  loves  the  beautiful.  All 
ages  have  been  fascinated  with  the  beautiful.  It  is 
natural  to  abhor  the  ugly  and  the  deformed.  Today 
there  is  a  seeking  of  adornment  to  be  made  beautiful. 
Montaigne  in  his  essay  on  "  Beauty  "  tells  of  the  hor- 
rors that  the  women  of  his  time  endured.  Old  women 
went  to  the  surgeon  and  had  their  faces  flayed,  expect- 
ing that  the  new  skin  would  be  smooth  as  a  babe's. 
They  ate  pounded  bone,  and  drank  charcoal  water. 
They  starved  themselves ;  then  they  ate — all  to  be  made 
beautiful.  And  today  there  are  facial  artists,  and  new 
cosmetics  coming  forth  all  the  time  to  help  women  to  be 
beautiful. 

"  Give  me  beauty ! ''  cries  the  young  man.  But  he 
is  looking  the  wrong  way  for  it.  It  is  not  to  be  found 
in  the  outer  things  of  life.  The  beauty  that  lasts  must 
begin  within,  and  work  outward.  Look  for  the  average 
young  man's  spinal  column  and  you  will  find  a  little 
gelatinous  thread,  not  yet  having  the  fibre  of  bone  in 
it.  Young  man !  you  cannot  carve  the  flower  of 
beauty  until  you  have  the  column  of  strength  within 
you. 

"  Give  me  beauty !  "  cries  the  young  woman,  and 
she  seeks  the  ornamentations  that  are  cheap,  and  paints 
her  face  with  cosmetics,  oblivious  of  the  facts  of  history, 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  217 

that  no  woman  can  have  real  beauty  unless  she  seeks  the 
grace  of  the  spiritual  within  herself. 

"  Give  me  beauty !  "  cries  the  mature  woman,  as 
she  sees  its  power  to  attract  and  hold  the  attention  of 
others  about  her.  And  she  seeks  that  which  adorns 
the  outside,  in  jewels,  cosmetics  and  dress,  forgetting 
the  beauty  that  is  born  of  the  spirit  and  that  is  perma- 
nent. 

There  is  no  beauty  worth  having  that  does  not  come 
out  of  the  life  of  spiritual  graces  in  Christ  Jesus.  Any 
other  beauty  will  collapse,  will  fade  out  in  the  light 
that  searches  all  hearts,  as  well  as  faces.  There  is  too 
much  ^^  making  up,"  and  not  enough  reality. 

We  should  not  forget  that  "  handsome  is  as  handsome 
does."  There  is  a  beauty  of  action  which  is  more  im- 
portant than  any  beauty  of  form.  It  is  more  important 
that  our  character  be  beautiful  than  that  our  body  should 
be  so.  Fifty  years  from  now  it  will  matter  little, 
whether  our  faces  were  pretty,  but  as  long  as  God  lives, 
it  will  be  of  the  greatest  importance  whether  our  char- 
acter, our  lives,  are  beautiful. 

The  third  pearl  is  charm.  "  How  charming!  "  Yes, 
it  is  so.  The  pearl  has  this  rare  gift  of  adornment. 
1^0  wonder  necklaces  are  sought  by  the  wealthy,  and 
given  by  the  devoted  lover,  and  fond  husband  and 
father. 

''  Isn't  she  charming !  "  rarely  spoken,  but  tremen- 
dously appreciative !  Why  is  it  that  one  person  whom 
every  one  respects  and  commends,  should  be  slighted 
and  passed  by,  while  another,  far  less  commendable,  is 
sought  after  and  beloved  by  every  one  ?    It  is  charm ! 


218  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

You  cannot  acquire  charm.  You  can  acquire  learn- 
ing, and  you  can  acquire  good  manners  and  riches. 
Patient  effort  will  give  jou  the  languages,  the  arts  and 
the  sciences.  You  can  make  people  come  to  you  for 
something  you  have  to  give  them.  But  if  you  have 
charm  they  will  come  to  you  for  nothing  material  that 
you  can  give  them,  but  will  give  you  everything. 

Charm  is  not  beauty,  for  features  of  the  most  purely 
modelled  perfection  do  not  give  it.  It  is  not  wit,  for 
men  fear  wit  rather  than  love  it,  and  they  pay  homage 
to  intellect  only  grudgingly  and  from  afar  off.  It  is 
not  kindness,  for  we  know  persons  whose  lives  are  spent 
doing  good,  who  yet  have  no  charm  whatever. 

Charm  comes  from  a  life  radiant  and  beautiful 
within.  It  is  like  a  flower  that  develops  from  within 
out,  the  fragrance  and  sweetness  of  the  within.  It  is 
as  natural  as  nature.  The  light  is  radiant  and  charming 
as  it  comes  from  the  sun  and  throws  itself  into  glorious 
colours  of  sunset  or  sunrise  hue.  The  waves  of  the  ocean 
come  with  curves  and  colours  of  green  and  blue,  that 
charm  and  delight.  The  sky  with  its  wonderful  blue, 
the  meadow  with  its  emerald  green,  the  grain  with  its 
yellow  gold,  the  lake  with  its  silvery  white,  the  mountain 
with  its  wonderful  grey,  all  tell  us  of  the  charm  of 
nature. 

And  the  charm  of  life  takes  the  morning  with  a  smile, 
the  night  with  a  light  of  good  cheer,  the  discords  with 
harmonies,  the  selfish  with  generosity,  the  sensual  with 
purity,  the  bad  with  good,  the  distrustful  with  confi- 
dence and  the  hopeless  Avith  divine  expectation. 

Charm  cries  out  for  its  creed : 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  219 

'^  I  would  be  true,  for  there  are  those  who  trust  me ; 
I  would  be  pure,  for  there  are  those  who  would  care; 
I  would  be  strong,  for  there  are  those  who  suffer; 
I  would  be  brave,  for  there  is  much  to  dare ; 
I  would  be  friend  of  all — the  foe — the  friendless; 
I  would  be  giving,  and  forget  the  gift; 
I  would  be  humble,  for  I  know  my  weakness; 
I  would  look  up — and  laugh  and  love  and  lift." 

The  fourth  pearl  •  is  purity.  This  has  been  the 
particular  symbol  of  the  pearl.  For  this  reason  it 
may  well  signify  heavenly  things.  There  is  no  harder 
pearl  to  cultivate  or  obtain  than  this.  From  the  be- 
ginning of  time,  the  world  has  been  sensual  and  the 
flesh  masterful.  ISTot  many  years  pass  in  a  life  before 
it  discovers  passions  of  the  body  that  surge  within.  It 
also  discovers  the  suggestions  of  evil  from  without. 

It  is  impossible  to  walk  upon  any  street  of  a  city; 
to  read  any  book  of  fiction;  to  visit  any  picture  show 
or  theatre;  to  listen  to  the  average  conversation;  to 
meet  the  average  person,  without  knowing  the  power 
and  lust  of  life,  from  without.  All  are  obliged  to  run 
a  gauntlet  within  and  without,  and  few  escape  this  race 
of  life  without  being  scorched  with  more  or  less  im- 
purity. 

And  yet,  it  is  "  the  pure  in  heart  that  shall  see  God." 
Our  cultivation  of  life  should  not  be  upon  the  basis 
of  the  drawing  room ;  the  social  adornment ;  the  gaining 
of  mental  stimulus;  the  acquiring  of  fame  or  riches, 
but  of  the  cultivation  of  the  pure  and  holy.  This  is  the 
way  to  heaven;  to  beholding  Him,  and  participating  in 
the  glories  of  heaven. 


220  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

It  will  have  to  be  a  good  fight ;  a  fight  of  faith,  with 
the  armour  of  God  about  us,  and  the  Spirit  within. 
It  will  have  to  be  with  a  watch  upon  our  lips ;  a  reserve 
about  our  manners ;  a  keeping  separate  from  worldlings ; 
a  love  for  the  pure,  and  a  prayerful  life,  hid  with 
Christ  in  God. 

The  greatest  need  of  the  world  is  purity  of  thought 
and  action.  Here  is  our  greatest  fight,  here  our  great- 
est consequences.  Our  greatest  enemy  is  within,  and 
if  we  are  not  careful,  he  will  unlock  the  gate  of  our 
citadel  and  let  the  enemy,  lust,  within.  And  when  once 
within  a  human  life,  how  hard  to  drive  him  out; 
how  hard  to  regain  possession  of  the  jewels  of  the 
throne  room !  Only  divine  power  can  aid  us  and 
help  us  to  win  the  victory.  Pray  God  to  give 
you  light  upon  these  things  and  strength  to  keep 
pure. 

Who  has  not  discovered  that  there  is  a  contagion 
in  sin — that  the  mind  which  permits  itself  an  evil  book ; 
the  eye  that  does  not  turn  away  from  a  corrupt  picture ; 
the  ear  that  is  not  jealously  closed  to  a  wicked  voice, 
is  soon  pacified  into  tolerance  of  sin,  and  from  tolerance 
of  sin  passes  into  welcome  of  it;  and  that  thus  the 
whole  life  is  corrupted,  as  the  fruit  is  cankered  by  the 
one  unnoticed  spot  of  rottenness  which  slowly  spreads 
until  all  is  poisoned  ? 

How!  often  a  pure  woman  marries  a  bad  man  with 
the  idea  that  she  can  reform  him.  It  almost  inevitably 
follows  that  he  corrupts  her.  It  is  not  the  water  that 
will  purify  the  mud,  it  is  the  mud  that  will  pollute 
the  water.     It  is  not  the  pure  nature  that  will  clarify 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  221 

the  corrupt,  but  it  is  the  corrupt  that  will  slowly  soak 
through  and  saturate  the  pure. 

Let  us  seek  the  pure,  that  pearl  of  all  possessions 
that  typifies  the  city  whose  builder  is  God,  where  nothing 
that  defilcth  ever  enters. 

Pearls  bring  joy,  and  they  indicate  the  joy  that  is  to 
come.  We  are  to  joy  in  God,  the  Lord.  "  Rejoice  in 
the  Lord  always;  again  I  say  rejoice."  "  These  things 
write  we  unto  you,  that  your  joy  may  be  full.'^  The 
eternal  good  is  here,  and  it  is  for  us  to  joy  in.  We 
have  in  us  the  capacity  for  joy,  therefore  there  is  joy 
for  us.  The  New  Testament  is  full  of  joy.  It  opens 
with  a  joy  song  over  the  birth  of  Jesus,  and  it  ends 
with  a  hallelujah  chorus.  There  is  enough  tragedy  in 
the  New  Testament  to  make  it  the  saddest  book  in  the 
world,  and  instead  it  is  the  most  joyful.  At  one  of  the 
saddest  times  in  history  Jesus  said :  ''  These  things 
have  I  spoken  unto  you  that  my  joy  may  be  in  you, 
and  that  your  joy  may  be  full.-'  We  dishonour  God  if 
we  fail  to  make  the  most  of  every  opportunity  for  legiti- 
mate happiness.  God  is  ashamed  of  the  man  who  goes 
through  life  wailing  and  finding  no  joy  in  life. 

You  take  an  instrument  and  string  it  in  perfect 
accord,  and  place  it  in  the  window  where  the  breeze 
will  play  over  its  strings;  and,  if  it  is  attuned  to  the 
wind,  there  will  come  on  the  air  a  dreamy  sound  of 
lulling  music.  And  so  this  human  nature  of  ours,  if  it 
be  attuned  perfectly  to  the  forces  of  the  world  about  us, 
every  breath  of  the  world's  life  over  us  will  be  music; 
so  that  we  need  not  go  in  search  for  joy. 

Joy  is  a  divine  right.     As  all  men  have  a  right  to 


222  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

eat  and  sleep,  so  they  have  a  right  to  be  happy.  They 
have  a  right  to  eat  and  sleep  because  their  physical 
natures  demand  sustenance  and  refreshment.  The  ap- 
petite for  happiness  is  as  normal  a  characteristic  as  the 
appetite  for  food. 

Do  not  forget  that  joy  always  needs  a  participant  in 
it.  Joy  always  needs  a  partner.  When  the  shepherd 
got  back  "^ith  his  lost  sheep,  he  ^^  called  his  friends  and 
neighbours  together,  saying  unto  them,  rejoice  with 
me.''  It  is  true  that  we  will  find  the  real  joy  if  we  play 
partners.     We  most  likely  will  miss  it  if  we  do  not. 

The  Indians  used  to  tell  about  a  strange  stone.  It 
was  supposed  to  be  concealed  upon  some  high  mountain 
top ;  no  one  knew  just  where.  At  times  it  would  shine 
brighter  than  the  moon.  It  was  called  the  "  Great 
Carbuncle."  To  find  it  was  the  sole  ambition  of  many. 
But  it  seemed  to  elude  the  searchers. 

"  Hawthorne  has  told  us  of  some  people  who  sought 
for  this  Great  Carbuncle,  and  why  they  did  not  find 
it.  They  had  been  taught  that  the  one  who  found  it 
would  become  famous  and  very,  very  happy.  So  they 
were  seeking  it  that  they  might  become  happy.  Each 
wanted  to  find  it  that  he  alone  might  enjoy  it.  One, 
Mr.  Seeker,  even  wanted  it  buried  with  him  when  he 
died  so  no  one  else  could  ever  have  it.  Another  wanted 
it  that  he  might  write  a  book  about  it  that  would  cause 
people  to  talk  about  him.  Another  wished  to  find  it 
that  he  might  sell  it  for  a  large  sum  of  money,  so  he 
would  be  very  rich.  One  other  wanted  it  that  it  might 
shine  in  his  beautiful  palace,  so  his  finery  would  show 
off  better  before  his  neighbours. 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  223 

"  Among  the  seekers  were  a  yourig  man  named 
Matthew  and  his  young  wife,  Hannah.  They  were 
poor,  simple  people  who  possessed  only  a  little  cottage. 
They  hoped  to  find  the  stone,  and  had  planned  to  always 
keep  it  in  their  cottage  that  it  might  give  them  light  at 
night.  In  their  search  they  went  upon  a  high  mountain. 
Soon  the  clouds  and  mist  settled  down  upon  them,  en- 
veloping them  in  utter  darkness.  They  became  lost. 
In  their  despair  they  decided  to  return  to  their  little 
cottage,  if  they  could  but  find  their  way  out  of  the  dark- 
ness. Their  friends,  they  said,  could  not  enjoy  it  with 
them  if  they  did  find  it.  So  they  would  return  to  their 
humble  home  "without  the  stone  and  always  be  happy 
through  loving  and  helping  one  another  and  their 
friends." 

The  real  lesson  here  for  us,  is  to  give  our  help  and 
love  to  others  and  we  shall  find  the  real  joy  of  living. 
1^0  one  can  be  happy  as  long  as  they  are  selfish.  To 
find  Christ  and  His  service  is  to  find  the  joy  of  living. 
Somq  writer  has  said: 

"  I  ask,  0  Lord,  that  from  my  life  may  flow 
Some  gladsome  music,  soothing,  sweet  and  clear, 
From  a  fine-strung  harp,  to  reach  the  weary  ear, 

Of  struggling  men. 
To  bid  them  pause  awhile  and  listen;  then, 
With  spirit  calmer,  stronger  than  before, 
Take  up  their  work  once  more. 
I  only  pray  that,  through  the  common  days 
Of  this  my  life,  unceasingly  may  steal 
Into  some  aching  heart,  strains  that  shall  help  to  heal 

Its  long  borne  pain. 


224  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

To  lift  the  thoughts  from  self  and  worldly  gain, 

And  fill  the  life  with  harmonies  divine. 

Oh  may  such  power  be  mine ! 

Thus  would  I  live,  and  when  all  working  days 

Are  o'er  for  me 
May  the  rich  music  of  my  life  ring  on  eternally.'* 

Do  not  forget  that  which  creates  the  mere  passing 
merriment  is  one  of  the  smallest,  shallowest  and  least 
satisfactory  sources  of  joy.  What  does  the  blear-eyed 
debauchee,  whose  chief  desire  is  painted  women,  plenti- 
ful drink,  and  putrid  talk,  know  about  real  joy  ?  What 
possible  and  lasting  joy  can  emerge  from  the  coarse  and 
revolting  haunts  of  sin?  The  hungry-eyed,  fevered 
crowds  surging  in  and  out  of  such  places  are  not  en- 
joying themselves ;  they  are  simply  trying  to  cheat  their 
souls  of  the  heavenly  food,  and  they  mistake  the  tem- 
porary absence  of  restlessness  and  insatiate  desire  for 
the  presence  of  pleasure. 

The  highest  joy  must  always  be  commensurate  with 
our  highest  powers  of  enjoyment.  "  Any  other  joy 
is  like  the  cracking  of  thorns  under  a  pot — very  bright 
and  genial  for  a  brief  space,  but  speedily  followed 
with  the  ashes  into  which  it  so  very  soon  resolves 
itself.''     - 

Henry  Drummond  says :  "  By  a  branch  of  the  true 
Vine,  we  may  grow  the  fruits  of  His  joy,  for  His 
method  of  living  is  one  that  in  the  nature  of  things 
produces  joy." 

"  The  man  who  turns  his  back  upon  the  Light 
Finds  shadows  in  his  path  in  fullest  sight; 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  225 

But  those  who  turn  their  faces  toward  it  find 
That  gloomy  shades  at  once  are  left  behind, 

Hence,  day  or  night, 

Face  thou  the  Light.'' 

Pearls  are  born  through,  suffering.  Generally  some 
foreign  substance  gets  into  the  shell  of  the  oyster  and 
the  constant  irritation  produces  the  pearl.  It  gets  its 
glory  and  value  from  its  birth  of  suffering. 

And  this  is  true  of  all  the  most  valuable  things  of 
life.  "  The  flowers  go  into  the  laboratory  to  yield 
their  perfume,  the  grapes  to  be  trampled  for  their  juice, 
the  sand  to  the  fire  for  glass/'  the  carbon  to  intensity 
of  heat  for  the  diamond,  the  seed  to  death  in  the  soil, 
for  fruitage,  and  so  is  it  in  man.  His  growth  is  one 
of  resistance,  struggle,  conflict,  battle  and  often  death 
of  self.  "  Steel  is  iron  plus  fire ;  statues  are  marble 
plus  the  chisel  and  manhood  is  nature  plus  the  battle." 

Victor  Hugo  has  given  many  powerful  persons  who 
were  seemingly  sore  afflicted — hunchbacks,  blind  people, 
so  called  criminals — who  yet  exerted  a  great  influence 
for  good.  These  persons  had  conquered  the  unkind  con- 
ditions about  them.  In  "  The  Man  Who  Laughs,"  we 
get  a  hideous  face  misunderstood  by  the  mob.  But  down 
underneath  the  repulsive  exterior  was  a  great,  generous, 
sublime  nature.  Jean  Valjean  was  sorely  misunder- 
stood, persecuted,  wronged.  Yet  out  of  all  the  misery 
he  merged  chastened,  refined,  victor  unvanquished,  the 
master — and  great  happiness  was  his. 

In  the  late  World  War,  men  counted  more  than 
anything  else.  There  is  a  story  they  are  telling  all  over 
Scotland,  of  Corporal  Angus  of  the  Highland  Light 


226  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Infantry.  The  regiment  had  made  a  night  charge 
against  the  German  trenches.  The  searchlights  had 
found  the  charging  troopers,  and  the  fury  of  machine 
guns  and  rifles  had  disappointed  their  hopes.  They  had 
been  forced  to  retreat  without  recovering  their  wounded 
or  their  dead.  When  the  morning  came  they  saw  the 
body  of  Lieutenant  Martin  lying  almost  at  the  parapet 
of  the  German  trenches.  As  they  watched  him  an  arm 
moved.  He  was  not  dead.  But  it  seemed  as  though 
more  than  human  power  were  needed  to  venture  forth 
over  that  dark  and  bloody  ground  and  bring  him  safely 
back.  Then  Corporal  Angus  did  his  deed,  ^'  an  act," 
to  quote  the  report,  "  which  will  rank  as  second  to  none 
in  the  annals  of  the  British  army.'^  He  climbed  coolly 
out  of  the  trench,  and  began  his  progress.  Bombs 
rained  about  him,  machine  guns  spat  their  fury  at  him, 
rifle  bullets  sang  their  song  of  hate  into  his  ears.  Time 
after  time  he  was  struck,  forty  times  had  he  been 
wounded  when  he  staggered  back  at  last;  but  in  his 
arms  he  bore  his  ofiicer.  He  had  gained  his  quest,  and 
today,  slowly  struggling  back  to  strength,  he  bears  upon 
his  bosom  the  Victoria  Cross.  And  the  empire  is 
aroused  at  the  story. 

The  lustre  of  a  pearl  or  a  great  life  comes  through 
its  suffering  and  development  in  the  furnace  of  struggle. 
The  battles  of  peace  are  just  as  exacting  and  testing  as 
those  of  war.  Today  the  world  is  looking  for  mighty 
men  who  will  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  Lord  and 
be  willing  to  sacrifice  means,  strength,  time  and  worldly 
honours  for  the  sake  of  the  Church  and  the  Kingdom 
of  God.     Irritation,  hardship,  perils,  stripes  and  even 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  227 

death  may  await  the  soldier  of  God,  but  to  look  into 
the  face  of  the  Christ  and  see  His  desire,  is  to  execute 
for.  His  glory,  and  to  reap  the  Cross  of  Honour  from 
Him.  Heaven  will  not  be  a  nursery  for  the  feeble. 
When  God  marshals  His  great  hosts  for  review  you  will 
hear  it  said :  "  These  are  they  who  came  up  out  of  great 
tribulation." 

"  I'd  walked  life's  path  with  an  easy  tread, 
Had  followed  where  pleasure  and  comfort  led 
Until  by  chance  in  a  quiet  place 
I  met  my  Master  face  to  face. 

"  I  had  built  my  castles  and  reared  them  high, 
Till  their  towers  pierced  the  blue  of  the  sky. 
I  had  sworn  to  rule  with  an  iron  mace 
When  I  met  my  Master  face  to  face. 

"  I  met  Him  and  knew  Him  and  blushed  to  see 
That  His  eyes  full  of  sorrow  were  fixed  upon  me. 
And  I  faltered  and  fell  at  His  feet  that  day. 
While  my  castles  melted  and  vanished  away. 

"  Melted  and  vanished,  and  in  their  place 
I  saw  naught  else  but  my  Master's  face. 
And  I  cried  aloud,  'Oh,  make  me  meet 
To  follow  the  marks  of  Thy  wounded  feet.' 

"  My  thought  now  is  for  the  souls  of  men, 
I've  lost  my  life  to  find  it  again, 
E'er  since  alone  in  that  holy  place, 
My  Master  and  I  stood  face  to  face." 


228  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Are  the  pearls  in  our  necklace  dull,  sickly  in  appear- 
ance !  Sometimes  they  become  so ;  the  constant  contact 
with  the  human  body  affects  them,  if  it  be  not  well 
and  strong.  Then,  away  goes  the  lustre,  the  beauty, 
and  value  of  the  necklace.  What  can  be  done?  The 
pearls  must  be  dipped  in  the  sea,  and  allowed  to  remain 
there  awhile.  Then,  they  come  up  beautiful  and  lus- 
trous again.  We  have  more  trouble  with  our  pearls  of 
beauty  and  lustrousness.  They  are  so  much  in  con- 
tact with  human  things,  they  get  sickly  and  do  not  re- 
flect the  true  glory  of  life. 

Our  natures  get  puffed  up  with  pride  and  vain-glory, 
swollen  with  conceit  and  are  overheated  with  passion 
and  excitement;  there  is  an  incipient  delirium  of  the 
world  in  us.  Some  natures  have  paralysis  of  useful- 
ness; others  have  fits  of  grumbling  and  the  rage  of 
jealousy;  others  are  blue  with  worry  and  cold  with 
fear  and  frozen  up  with  envy  and  covetousness. 

For  all  these  maladies  there  is  a  cure.  If  we  will 
bathe  in  the  sunshine  of  The  Word,  and  wash  ourselves 
thoroughly  in  the  warmth  and  cleanliness  of  a  spiritual 
flow  and  have  a  message  from  the  Physician  of  Life, 
we  will  find  the  dulness  going,  the  fever  will  be  laid 
low;  the  sore  spot  will  heal  over;  the  paroxysm  will 
pass,  and  the  pearls  of  speech  and  action  will  have  their 
beauty  returned. 

The  last  pearl  is  grace.  This  is  the  "  pearl  of  great 
price."  The  diamond,  the  ruby,  the  emerald  and  the 
sapphire,  and  other  precious  gems  are  hidden  away  in 
river  bods,  or  set  in  solid  rocks,  and  there  men  seek 
them  without  loss  of  health  or  much  risk  of  life.     'Not 


A  NECKLACE  OF  PEARLS  229 

so  with  the  pearl.  It  belongs  to  the  occau.  Not  to  the 
shore,  but  to  the  depths.  To  find  it  the  pearl  fisher 
must  weight  himself  down  with  a  stone,  leap  from  the 
boatside  and  descend  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.  Fre- 
quently he  never  rises  again.  Either  the  pressure  is 
too  great  for  him,  or  he  falls  a  prey  to  the  shark  or 
other  monsters  of  the  deep.  It  is  a  costly  business 
and  furnishes  an  apt  and  striking  illustration  of  what 
it  cost  God  to  bring  salvation  to  men. 

You  have  sometimes  seen  a  garden  in  all  the  pro- 
fusion of  summer  beauty  and  fruitfulness  battered  and 
beaten  down  by  a  sudden  storm.  The  flowers  are  bend- 
ing their  heads;  their  stems  are  crushed,  and  it  looks 
as  if  no  human  power  can  ever  restore  that  garden 
again.  And  no  human  power  can!  You  may  take 
sticks  and  props  and  go  around  that  garden  and  tie 
up  the  bruised  blossoms,  but  with  the  best  intention  in 
the  world  you  cannot  produce  the  life  which  was  ap- 
parent before  the  storm  came.  But  let  the  sun  come 
out;  let  the  gentle  zephyr  take  the  place  of  the  rude, 
harsh  wind,  and  it  is  wonderful  how  the  flowers  pick 
up.  In  a  very  short  space  of  time,  they  are  as  bright 
as  before  the  storm.  And  so  is  it  with  grace.  When 
the  reign  of  the  grace  of  Christ  is  set  up  in  a  soul,  it  is 
a  reign  of  tenderness  and  sympathy,  but  also  a  reign  of 
unspeakable  strength.  That  which  has  been  bruised, 
battered  and  crushed,  and  well-nigh  destroyed  by  sin, 
shall  blossom  again  to  the  glory  of  Christ's  name. 

An  old  minister  on  his  death-bed  said  to  his  colleague: 
"  I  am  gathering  up  all  my  good  deeds  and  my  bad 
deeds,  my  successes  and  my  failures,  and  I  am  casting 


230  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

all  overboard  and  am  going  into  heaven  on  a  single 
plank  of  gospel  grace."  He  was  right.  There  is  no 
other  way  into  heaven.     "  By  grace  are  ye  saved." 

Here  then  is  our  necklace  of  pearls.  Let  them  be 
strung  together  by  the  Word  of  Truth,  and  they  can 
never  be  broken.  Let  them  be  bathed  in  the  light  of 
love,  and  they  will  always  reflect  the  glory  of  things  to 
come.  Let  them  be  strung  about  your  daily  life  with 
the  imagery  of  heaven,  and  they  will  lead  into  the 
presence  of  their  Maker,  who  has  imaged  Himself  in 
them. 


XIII 
HOW  TO  APPLY  CHKISTIAN  PSYCHOLOGY 

THE  "  how "  is  most  important.  And  yet  the 
application  is  greater  still.  We  have  talked  and 
written  a  good  deal  about  Christian  Psychology. 
It  is  time  that  we  make  an  attempt  to  tell  how  it  is 
applied. 

Recognize  what  you  have  to  apply.  Recognition  of 
the  material  gives  some  idea  of  the  work  one  can  do, 
and  how  big  one  can  build.  The  builders  must  know 
what  kind  of  materials  are  to  be  used  and  the  quantity 
and  quality.  And  this  is  true  of  us.  We  have  all  the 
world,  visible  and  invisible,  for  our  materials.  Match- 
ing these  are  the  tools  of  mind  and  spirit.  Some  of 
these  tools  are  in  the  conscious  mind,  some  in  the  spirit 
mind,  while  the  subconscious  mind  is  the  storehouse  of 
supplies. 

The  conscious  mind  directs,  designs,  suggests  and 
commands.  It  gives  the  pattern,  the  plan,  the  mould. 
It  therefore  is  the  creator  of  all.  It  is  "  carnal,^' 
"  mortal ''  and  yet  can  become  spiritualized.  We  must 
not  lose  this  mind,  for  to  do  so,  would  be  to  go  to  the 
insane  asylum.  We  must  spiritualize  it;  then  it  finds 
its  true  place. 

The  subconscious  mind  builds,  produces,  furnishes 
the  power,  energizes  all,  changes  the  chemistry  of  the 

281 


232  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

body,  eradicates  disease,  functions,  renews  and  repairs 
the  body.  It  is  the  dynamo,  the  reservoir,  the  force 
behind  the  conscious  mind.  It  has  intuition;  it  can 
see  what  is  happening  at  a  distance,  and  has  telepathic 
power.    When  left  to  be  natural,  it  produces  fine  results. 

"  The  Medical  Lancet,"  London,  tells  of  a  young 
woman  who  became  insane  when  her  lover  went  away. 
For  over  fifty  years,  she  has  been  confined  in  the 
asylum,  but  now  at  seventy,  she  is  as  young  in  looks 
as  when  she  was  confined  fifty  years  ago.  Why?  Be- 
cause she  has  believed  herself  young  and  has  kept 
constantly  before  her  mind  that  her  lover  was  coming 
back  and  she  must  be  young  and  beautiful,  when  he 
returns.  Her  subconscious  mind  has  applied  these 
thoughts  to  her  body,  and  there  are  no  wrinkles  of 
skin,  no  grey  hairs. 

A  French  girl  took  a  prize  in  painting  and  declared 
that  she  did  not  deserve  it,  because  some  one  had 
helped  her  when  she  was  away.  It  was  discovered  that 
she  was  getting  up  in  her  sleep  and  painting  in  a  man- 
ner of  which  she  was  utterly  incapable  when  awake. 

The  superconscious  mind,  is  the  mind  of  the  spirit. 
It  is  God  in  you.  It  is  God's  method  of  making  con- 
tact with  you.  It  is  God's  way  of  getting  into  you. 
^'  It  is  that  which  was  never  born,  is  never  sick  and 
never  dies."  This  spirit  mind  fusing  the  conscious 
mind  makes  us  what  God  wants  us  to  be;  we  become 
spirit-minded,  where  before  we  were  carnal-minded. 
We  now  have  the  combination  that  unlocks  great  re- 
sources. ^'  One  shall  chase  a  thousand,  and  two  shall 
put  ten  thousand  to  flight,"  is  this  combination. 


TO  APPLY  CHRISTIAN  PSYCHOLOGY    233 

These  three  realms  of  the  mind  give  us  the  tools 
to  apply  and  the  world  gives  us  the  necessary  things  to 
work  upon  for  our  growth  and  success  in  life. 

To  apply  Christian  Psychology  we  must  organize  it. 
What  is  the  good  of  a  lot  of  material  spread  about  us, 
if  we  will  not  organize  it.  Our  great  war  was  pro- 
longed because  of  a  lack  of  organization.  All  was 
here,  but  we  were  not  prepared. 

Iron  ore  when  brought  out  of  the  mines,  must  be 
organized  through  the  smelter  and  builder,  into  an 
engine  or  bridge  before  it  comes  to  its  full  value.  Wood, 
stone,  metal  and  marble  must  be  organized  for  value 
and  application.  Going  to  camp  is  organizing;  going 
to  school,  college,  is  organizing.  Our  brains  need  to 
be  organized,  so  also  our  bodies,  and  our  spirits.  Spirit 
is  organized  by  spirit,  bodies  by  exercise  and  diet  and 
minds  by  concentration  and  expression. 

Our  minds  are  gardens  where  the  roses  of  health 
and  the  w^eeds  of  disease  are  struggling  for  expression, 
for  life.  We  must  not  let  the  roses  get  the  worst  of  it. 
To  be  indifferent  is  to  drift  backward.  Everything  in 
the  world  has  a  tendency  to  drift  if  let  alone.  A  flower 
garden,  an  orchard  and  a  farm  drifts  backward  if  not 
given  positive  care.  Thus,  it  is  with  the  mind.  It  must 
be  organized,  cultured  to  get  best  results.  Every  day 
that  you  organize  good  thoughts,  you  are  putting  happi- 
ness checks  into  the  bank  of  health  and  power. 

Keep  in  mind  that  a  thing  must  be  first  thought  out 
before  it  can  be  wrought  out.  Think  hard  and  clear 
upon  the  thing  you  want  to  do.  Concentrated  thinking 
sets  up  an  increased  activity  in  the  consciousness,  and 


234.  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

you  begin  to  draw  the  things  you  are  seeking,  and 
energizing  factors  will  help  you  to  get  your  earnest 
desire.  Whatever  is  given  attention  in  the  mental 
world,  will  be  likely  realized.  In  your  thinking,  think 
health,  happiness,  prosperity  and  success  and  you  will 
draw  these  things  toward  you  and  you  will  push  out 
toward  them.  To  think  weakness,  poverty,  disease,  is  to 
take  a  step  toward  them.  Just  as  you  would  plant  your 
trees  in  good  soil,  so  plant  your  mind  in  the  fertile 
field  of  health,  life  and  success.  To  be  disobedient 
to  the  law  of  right  thinking  is  to  pay  the  penalty  of 
weakness  and  disease.  Obedience  to  the  law  of  educa- 
tion gives  a  trained  mind;  obedience  to  the  law  of  ex- 
ercise gives  a  strong  body;  obedience  to  spirit,  gives 
spiritual  results.  Failure  to  obey  the  law  brings  trouble 
and  illness.  Failing  to  obey  the  law  of  heat,  one  has  a 
cold ;  failing  to  obey  the  law  of  education,  one  has 
ignorance;  failing  to  obey  the  law  of  health,  one  has 
disease. 

Organizing  is  auto-suggesting  to  yourself.  By  this 
means  one  can  to  a  great  extent  make  or  unmake  him- 
self. You  get  what  you  go  after.  Down  in  West  Vir- 
ginia there  was  a  little  hamlet  that  wanted  a  post-office, 
and  so  they  appointed  a  committee,  who  petitioned  the 
government  for  it.  The  government  officials  sent  back 
word  that  they  could  have  it  and  what  name  did  they 
want  it  called  ?  The  people  said :  "  We  don't  care  what 
you  call  it,  only  we  want  a  post-office."  And  so  the 
post-office  was  called:  "  WEWANTA.'' 

What  our  mind  fastens  upon  through  auto-suggestion, 
generally  comes  to  us  sooner  or  later.     This  is  one  of 


TO  APPLY  CHRISTIAN  PSYCHOLOGY    235 

the  laws  of  metaphysics :  Get  your  miud  upon  a  thing, 
and  you  begin  to  attract  it  to  you,  as  well  as  create  it. 

Organizing  is  affirming.  ^^  Refuse  to  express  a  pas- 
sion, a  desire,  and  it  dies."  Affirmation  is  the  fiat  of 
the  will ;  the  yea  of  the  soul.  When  a  thing  is  affirmed, 
faith  in  it  is  confinned.  Jesus  used  affirmations  in 
His  seven  '^  I  ams,"  in  which  He  disclosed  His  power 
and  self-hood.  Emerson  says :  '^  Nerve  yourself  with 
incessant  affirmations." 

Affirmation  is  a  statement  of  your  possibilities  in 
oneness  with  God.  It  is  recognizing  the  ideal  to  be 
made  real.  It  is  seeing  the  perfect  man,  the  health  man 
you  are  reaching  after  in  your  thought.  And  a  man 
is  more  likely  to  reach  a  certain  goal  who  aims  for  it. 
A  young  man  in  entering  college  put  the  letter  V  over 
his  door.  When  asked  what  it  meant,  he  said :  "  You 
will  know  some  day."  At  the  end  of  his  college  life  he 
was  the  valedictorian  of  his  class,  and  his  friends  then 
knew  the  secret  of  the  letter  V.  That  letter  was  a 
great  affirmation. 

A  boy  one  time  was  looking  for  a  job,  and  he  saw 
a  sign  hanging  on  the  outside  of  a  window,  which  said : 
"  Boy  Wanted !  "  He  stepped  up  to  the  sign,  and  tak- 
ing it  down,  walked  into  the  office  and  said :  "  I  have 
come  to  take  the  job,  sir."  The  proprietor  looking  up 
saw  the  sign  under  the  boy's  arm,  and  said :  "  What  have 
you  got  that  sign  for?  "  The  boy  replied:  ''  You  don't 
need  it  out  there  any  longer,  for  I  took  the  job  when 
I  came  in,  sir."  The  proprietor  gave  that  boy  the  job. 
He  affirmed. 

Look  out  for  false  affirmations.     A  deception  plays 


236  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

havoc  with  the  perceptive  faculties.  Do  not  say :  "  I 
am  good,"  when  you  are  bad.  Remove  the  wrong  and 
supply  the  good,  and  then  affirmation  will  help  you.  It 
is  not  healthful  to  declare :  "  Pain  does  not  exist,"  for 
why  declare  the  non-existence  of  what  you  may  think 
is  non-existent  ?  To  deny  a  thing  is  to  recognize  it.  If 
a  person  should  come  into  my  home  and  go  about  say- 
ing: "  I  am  not  hungry!  I  am  not  hungry !  "  I  would 
go  and  get  him  something  to  eat.  And  so  when  a 
person  says :  "  I  am  not  sick !  I  am  not  sick !  "  I  know 
he  is  sick. 

But  one  can  affirm :  "  I  am  a  branch  of  the  Vine  " ; 
"  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  who  strengtheneth 
me."  "  Christ  is  made  unto  me  wisdom,  righteousness, 
sanctification  and  redemption."  "  He  bare  our  sick- 
nesses.)" because  the  Scriptures  say  so.  Such  affirma- 
tions give  faith,  hope  and  courage  to  the  Christian  and 
are  an  application  of  the  promises  of  God,  which  con- 
stitute the  best  medicine  for  the  life  of  man. 

We  apply  Christian  Psychology  by  utilizing  what 
we  have.  When  you  use  what  you  have,  you  get  more. 
This  is  a  law  in  the  seed  world,  and  natural  world. 
When  one  uses  his  brain,  he  gets  more.  Elaborate  your 
ability,  stretch  it  to  the  very  last  notch,  and  you  will 
acquire  more.  Most  of  your  limitations  are  in  your- 
self, in  your  mind.  Your  achievement  will  never  rise 
higher  than  your  real  self-faith.  And  the  deed  must 
live  in  the  thought  first,  or  it  will  never  be  a  reality. 
A  strong  vigorous  idea  of  the  thing  you  want  to  do  is 
a  tremendous  initial  step  to  get  it. 

Do  not  give  yourself  to  dead  things.     One  time  a 


TO  APPLY  CHRISTIAN  PSYCHOLOGY     237 

man  climbing  a  mountain  was  about  to  grasp  a  branch 
ahead  of  him,  when  the  guide  called  out:  ''Not  that 
branch — it  is  a  dead  one — take  the  next  one — the  living 
one."  A  dead  faith — a  dead  mind,  that  has  no  action, 
no  life  in  it,  will  destroy  you. 

You  utilize  good  psychology  when  you  hold  your- 
self in  a  positive  mind.  Negatives  never  accomplish 
anything.  There  is  no  life  in  them.  They  make  for 
weakness,  deterioration  and  death.  He  who  talks  about 
hard  times,  poor  health  and  poverty,  attracts  these 
things  to  him.  There  is  no  science  in  the  world  which 
will  bring  a  thing  to  you  while  your  thought  repels  it. 
He  who  would  get  up  in  the  world  must  learn  to  deny 
his  belief  in  limitations. 

"  It  would  be  impossible  for  a  lawyer  to  make  a 
reputation  for  himself  in  his  profession  while  con- 
tinually thinking  about  medicine  or  engineering.  He 
must  think  about  law,  and  must  study  and  become  im- 
bued with  its  principles." 

Is  it  not  therefore,  more  foolish  to  expect  to  develop 
a  strong,  vigorous  mentality  while  acknowledging  weak- 
ness or  deficiency  ?  So  long  as  one  allows  himself  to 
contemplate  any  personal  defect,  mental  or  physical, 
he  will  fall  below  his  possible  attainment.  "  Banish 
your  ghosts,  your  unrealities,  your  enemies  of  success 
and  happiness  from  the  mind,  by  letting  negatives  go. 
You  can  get  out  of  the  basement  of  darkness  and  ill 
health  and  failure  and  get  up  into  the  sky  parlour  of 
light  and  health  by  bringing  in  the  positives  of  life. 

Be  positive  in  the  presence  of  an  enemy.  To  be 
negative  is  to  lose  out  to  him.     You  cannot  be  over- 


238  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

come  as  long  as  you  are  positive.  You  cannot  have 
bad  bargains  pushed  on  to  you,  as  long  as  you  are 
positive.  You  cannot  be  injured  as  long  as  you  keep 
your  thought  spiritual  and  noble.  Do  not  be  afraid  of 
"  malicious  animal  magnetism,"  so  long  as  you  are  true 
yourself.  Remember  that  no  one  has  as  much  power 
over  you  as  you  have  over  yourself.  When  you  let  yoiir 
thought  down  to  foulness,  badness,  evil,  then  it  is  true 
that  the  badness  of  other  people's  minds  may  get  into 
your  mind,  because  you  live  or  vibrate  on  the  same 
plane  as  they  do. 

To  help  yourself,  stamp  the  right  pattern  into  your 
mind.  Whatever  pattern  the  conscious  mind  gives  is 
built  by  the  subconscious  mind.  "  The  spiritual  ther- 
apeutist is  essentially  both  destructive  and  construc- 
tive and  must  possess  a  true  understanding  of  man's 
real  nature,  so  that  he  may  destroy  the  beliefs  of  a 
human  heritage  of  materiality,  burdened  with  instincts, 
ranging  from  primitive  savagery  to  polished  veneer, 
and  in  their  place  bring  to  the  surface  of  human  con- 
sciousness and  knowledge  a  divine  heritage  of  spiritual 
perfection  and  infinite  good.  This  knowledge  is  the 
doom  of  all  misery,  for  the  greatest  foe  to  mankind  is  its 
own  ignorance." 

"  The  human  mind,  gazing  on  its  own  imperfect 
images,  reproduces  and  multiplies  countless  expressions 
of  its  own  type.  But  man  turning  to  his  divine  heri- 
tage and  gazing  upon  the  perfect  image  or  health  in 
God,  reproduces  infinite  power  and  health,  which  makes 
for  true  health."  Choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will 
serve,  "  or  in  other  words  whether  to  turn  to  human 


TO  APPLY  CHRISTIAN  PSYCHOLOGY    239 

patterns  and  conditions  that  bring  decay  and  weakness, 
or  to  the  true  and  real,  that  bring  perfect  health  and 
power  in  God." 

^o  man  is  ever  sick  in  his  superconscious  mind  of 
itself.  Spirit  is  always  health.  '^  Error  is  burned  up 
the  moment  man  ceases  to  behold  it."  Look  through  it, 
and  not  to  it.  "  A  great  truth  here.  While  I  believe  sin 
and  sickness  are  something  more  than  error,  yet  we 
are  not  to  look  at  them,  but  through  them  to  God. 
There  is  no  sickness  beyond  God's  power.  And  God 
never  performed  a  greater  miracle  than  to  change  a 
man's  heart  and  nature.  If  he  can  do  one,  He  can  do  the 
other.  But  we  must  co-operate  with  Him  by  not  seeing 
discordant  conditions,  but  the  reality  of  things. 

Form  corrective  habits  of  thinking.  "  Do  not  be 
occupied  with  yourself.  Do  not  talk  about  your  symp- 
toms. It  is  a  commonplace  of  modem  psychology  that 
the  intensity  of  any  sensation  increases  in  proportion  to 
the  attention  given  or  directed  to  it.  Many  people  who 
do  not  feel  well,  seem  almost  obsessed  with  a  desire 
to  discuss  their  ailment.  A  watched  pot  never  boils. 
We  might  also  say,  that  a  watched  symptom  never  stops 
boiling." 

Do  you  need  more  money,  more  physical  resources? 
Recognize  that  you  have  in  you  somewhere  a  spiritual 
faculty  which  was  created  in  you  for  the  purpose  of 
helping  you  to  get  in  your  life  whatever  you  need.  You 
may  direct  this  energy  in  its  creative  force  in  a  number 
of  ways.  You  can  form  a  vivid  and  definite  picture  of 
money  coming  toward  you,  and  you  will  get  help.  You 
may  say :  '^  I  have  wealth  coming  to  me,  for  God  flows 


240  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

into  and  through  me,  and  brings  forth  for  my  needs." 
Get  the  idea  that  when  God  brought  forth  the  children 
of  Israel  from  Egypt,  he  "  brought  them  forth  with 
silver  and  gold."  He  wanted  them  to  have  that  which 
met  their  necessities.  He  desires  the  same  for  you. 
Keep  affirming  and  seeing  your  needs  met.  In  this  way 
you  will  be  pushed  out  to  get,  and  you  will  find  material 
things  coming  toward  you.  Keep  positive  here,  and  not 
negative.     This  will  help  greatly  your  success. 

To  help  a  friend,  seat  yourself,  and  shutting  your 
eyes,  get  a  mental  picture  of  your  friend,  and  then 
when  you  see  him  clearly,  speak  directly  to  him  as  if 
he  was  in  the  room,  saying  what  you  wish  to  declare 
to  him.  You  have  lodged  in  his  subconscious  mind 
the  seed  thought  of  help.  The  force  has  been  put  to 
work,  and  the  result  must  be  awaited.  But  help  has 
been  given.  It  makes  no  difference  how  far  off  the 
friend  may  be.  The  thought  or  force  which  comes 
from  one  person  to  another  is  as  real  as  a  current 
of  air  or  electricity.  If  another's  thoughts  are  richer; 
if  he  has  more  foresight,  better  judgment,  more  spiritu- 
ality, these  qualities  will  be  added  to  help  the  mind 
they  are  sent  to,  to  be  stronger. 

If  a  friend  is  near,  but  obstinate  to  your  desire  and 
help,  say  nothing  to  him,  but  work  for  him  silently. 
In  this  way,  the  work  is  more  effective  because  you 
will  not  have  the  conscious  opposition  of  his  mind, 
the  positive  fighting,  but  rather  the  negative  attitude. 
If  your  work  is  good,  for  their  spiritual  help  and  moral 
uplift,  it  will  grip  for  the  best.  If  it  should  be  evil, 
you  will  find  that  your  conscience  will  weaken  your 


TO  APPLY  CHRISTIAN  PSYCHOLOGY     241 

concentration  and  your  work  will  not  be  as  effective. 

To  help  some  one  in  your  presence,  who  desires  your 
aid,  go  to  them  and  explain  simply  what  you  are  trying 
to  do,  tell  them  what  you  can  about  the  mind  and  how 
it  works,  and  then  affirm  to  them  that  they  are  a 
"  Branch  of  the  Vine,''  and  that  therefore  Christ's  life 
is  pouring  itself  into  them  for  every  needed  help.  This 
will  grip  and  bring  results. 

The  friend  plans  for  a  flowing  in,  and  you  plan  for 
a  flowing  out  toward  the  friend.  He  puts  himself  into 
a  receptive  attitude,  and  you  put  yourself  into  a  giving 
attitude.  Of  course  you  are  the  channel  of  communica- 
tion when  it  comes  to  spiritual  power.  God  alone  heals ; 
you  are  a  wayshower. 

It  is  also  to  be  understood  that  some  of  the  most 
effective  work  done  in  healing  for  a  friend  is  while  he 
is  asleep.  He  is  perfectly  relaxed  which  prevents  any 
conscious  opposition  to  the  treatment.  You  also  treat 
most  effectively  while  asleep.  Before  going  to  sleep 
you  impress  your  mind  that  it  is  to  convey  curative  sug- 
gestion to  your  friend,  and  then,  by  the  general  princi- 
ples of  the  relation  between  the  conscious  and  sub- 
conscious mind,  this  suggestion  is  carried  out  during  all 
the  hours  of  the  night  or  while  the  persons  may  be 
asleep.  Just  as  two  telegraphers  may  communicate  and 
talk  with  each  other  during  the  night,  when  not  other- 
wise occupied,  so  the  two  subconscious  minds  help 
one  another. 

This  same  thing  is  true  regarding  God's  relationship 
to  you,  only  in  an  infinite  degree,  where  ours  may  be 
in  the  finite  degree. 


242  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

To  help  yourself,  affirm  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  sickness  in  the  spirit  mind.  Say  over  and  over  again: 
"  I  am  well  in  spirit."  This  will  be  true  if  you  are  liv- 
ing the  Christian  life^  and  hold  to  the  fact  that  the 
self  you  are  trying  to  realize  is  not  your  conscious  self, 
but  your  spirit  self.  In  this  way  you  will  make  no  false 
affirmations  and  not  be  misunderstood  by  the  world 
about  you. 

A  noted  thinker  says :  "  Whatever  the  mind  is  set 
upon,  or  whatever  it  keeps  most  in  view,  that  it  is 
bringing  about,  and  the  continual  thought  or  imagining 
must  at  last  take  form  and  shape  in  the  world  of  seen 
and  tangible  things." 

That  there  are  limitations  and  delays  to  one's  work  is 
found  in  everyday  life,  as  well  as  in  the  early  disciples. 
These  delays  may  come  from  a  lack  of  faith,  because  of 
unrepented  sin,  because  of  human  relationships,  be- 
cause of  our  fears.  There  must  be  a  limit  to  these 
things  somewhere, — else  why  did  Paul  and  John  die? 
There  must  come  a  time  when  we  long  to  go  and  be  with 
Christ  which  is  far  better.  But  as  long  as  one  yearns 
to  love,  God  will  not  mock  the  soul,  and  we  may  pray 
and  labour  with  faitL 

And  to  apply  Christian  Psychology  we  must  spiritu- 
alize ourselves.  One  of  the  great  calamities  of  the 
hour  is  the  fact  that  many  of  the  higher  institutions 
of  learning,  do  not  spiritualize  their  psychology.  The 
breath  of  life  is  not  there;  only  the  cold,  dead  form 
that  lacks  the  movement  of  real  power  and  life. 

"Man  is  a  spirit.  All  else  is  secondary  and  inci- 
dental.    We  know  that  the  material  world  has  only  a 


TO  APPLY  CHRISTIAN  PSYCHOLOGY     243 

phenomenal  reality — that  it  exists  only  because  you,  I 
and  God  exist  It  has  no  being  in  itself.  Our  poor 
material  brains  have  been  evolved  in  the  midst  of  things 
and  we  think  things,  shapes,  solids,  are  realities.  The 
reality  is  you.  Seize  the  reality,  act  on  it,  assume  its 
power,  and  the  mountains  wdll  stand  aside.  Man  is  a 
spirit,  eternal,  with  infinite  possibilities.  As  the 
spiritual  world  is  real,  so  are  the  laws  of  the  spiritual 
world  real.  Act  according  to  the  spiritual  laws  and 
you  shall  live  richly,  strongly." 

"  We  are  not  to  think  that  we  can  live  the  life  of  the 
spirit,  out  of  touch  with  God  the  great  spiritual  reality. 
Do  not  think  that  you  can  achieve  an  abiding  faith 
without  having  faith  in  something  that  abides.  God  is 
the  guarantee  that  our  ideals  are  real  and  will  come 
true.  Pray  to  Him  then,  for  He  hears,  and  spirit  with 
Spirit  shall  meet." 

When  one  turns  to  the  spirit  he  has  demonstrated 
that  he  is  ready  for  the  beginning  of  regeneration. 
"  And  automatically  and  unfailingly  he  has  brought 
into  his  life  the  power  from  above."  He  has  made 
an  alliance  with  the  heavenly  power-house  and  connected 
himself  up  with  all  resources,  all  wisdom,  all  success, 
all  life.  He  cannot  fail  now.  He  may  be  hindered, 
obstructed  for  a  little,  but  he  moves  on  toward  the 
goal  of  life  and  all  power.  He  cannot  be  defeated. 
He  is  linked  with  the  eternal  and  more  abundant  life. 
"  All  things  are  yours — and  you  are  Christ's  and  Christ 
is  God's." 

Here,  then,  is  our  source  of  help  and  power.  Here 
we  give  the  method  of   applying.     Do  you  believe? 


244  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Hast  thou  faith?     According  to  your  faith  be  it  unto 
you. 

In  "  Pilgrim's  Progress  "  when  Pilgrim  came  to  a 
river  which  lay  between  him  and  the  gate,  he  asked  the 
man  by  the  waters,  if  they  were  all  of  a  depth.  He  said : 
"  No !  You  shall  find  them  deeper  or  shallower,  as 
you  believe  in  the  King  of  the  place."  And  thus  will 
it  be  with  you  in  the  application  of  these  things.  Have 
faith  in  Him,  and  you  shall  see,  know  and  realize. 

"  He  who  dares  to  assert  the  spirit  I, 
May  calmly  wait,  while  hurrying  Fate, 
Meets  his  demand  with  sure  supply.^' 


XIV 
THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  ORATORIO 

THERE  are  many  ways  of  expressing  a  truth.  It 
may  be  painted  like  Rubens'  "  Descent  from 
the  Cross  " ;  it  may  be  sculptured  like  Michael 
Angelo's  ^^  Moses  " ;  it  may  be  built  into  a  Cathedral 
like  Westminster  Abbey;  it  may  be  put  into  story  like 
Lew  Wallace's  "Ben  Hur";  it  may  be  pictured  like 
"  The  Shepherd  of  the  Hills  " ;  it  may  be  sung  like 
Handel's  "  Messiah  " ;  it  may  be  dramatized  like  "  The 
Passion  Play."  Our  Master  cast  much  of  His  teach- 
ing into  dramatic  form.  He  thus  teaches  the  story  of 
the  Sower,  the  Shepherd,  the  Grood  Samaritan,  the 
Prodigal  and  the  Bridegroom. 

One  of  God's  greatest  efforts  will  be  "  The  World's 
Greatest  Oratorio."  There  have  been  some  magnifi- 
cent productions  of  music  in  the  history  of  man. 
Thrilling  music  has  had  a  marvellous  effect  upon  the 
souls  of  men.  It  has  inspired  the  soldier ;  it  has  thrilled 
the  mystic;  touched  the  soul  of  the  worshipper;  lifted 
up  the  sorrowing;  moved  the  race.  It  is  the  one  thing 
sought  in  every  home  and  cabin.  It  has  chords  in  us 
that  vibrate  to  its  several  movements  and  strains  and  it 
is  the  one  thing  let  down  from  heaven  to  earth. 

Music  has  no  mortal  artist  for  its  inventor.  It  was 
bom  in  heaven,  in  the  soul  of  the  Creator,  and  He 

245 


246  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

has  implanted  it  in  all  His  children  and  it  is  His  own 
gift  of  heaven  for  us  all.  But  the  supremacy  of  this 
gift  is  not  found  on  the  earth.  ^^  The  Messiah "  is 
not  the  great  oratorio  of  all  time,  it  is  only  the  prelude 
of  that  which  is  to  come.  The  World's  Greatest  Ora- 
torio, will  be  "the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb." 

Its  composer  will  be  God.  Therefore  being  the 
GREATEST^  His  oomposition  will  be  the  greatest.  He 
knows  where  to  put  all  sounds;  where  to  find  all 
harmonies ;  how  to  develop  new  tones ;  put  together  new 
combinations.  All  strains  will  be  in  the  Master  touch 
and  command,  and  we  shall  be  filled  with  its  glory 
and  satisfied  with  its  melody. 

How  great  the  effect  of  music  upon  us,  when  a 
human  master  brings  it  forth !  What  cannot  the  voice 
do  in  its  glorious  sympathy  and  thrills !  What  wonder- 
ful throbbings  are  packed  into  a  violin  when  the  spirit 
of  a  human  master  lays  hold  of  it !  Who  can  forget  the 
old  trapper  John  IsTorton's  feelings  as  expressed  after 
he  had  heard  the  lad  play,  in  "  The  Man  Who  Didn't 
Know  Much."  "  I  have  heerd  most  of  the  sweet  and 
terrible  noises  that  ITatur'  makes,  boy;  I  have  heerd 
the  thunder  along  the  hills  when  the  Lord  was  knockin' 
agin  the  'arth  until  it  jarred;  and  I  have  heerd  the 
wind  in  the  pines  and  the  waves  on  the  beaches  when 
the  darkness  of  night  was  on  the  woods  and  Natur'  was 
singin'  her  evenin'  psalm;  and  there  be  no  bird  or 
beast  the  Lord  has  made  whose  cry,  be  it  lively  or 
solemn,  I  have  not  heerd;  and  I  have  said  that  man 
could  not  make  so  sweet  a  noise  as  l^atur'  makes  when 
the  Sperit  of  the  universe  speaks  through  her  stillness; 


THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  ORATORIO    247 

but  je  have  made  sounds  tonight,  lad,  sweeter  than  my 
ears  have  ever  heerd  on  hill  or  lake  shore,  at  noon  or 
in  the  night  season,  and  I  sartinly  believe  that  the 
Sperit  of  the  Lord  has  been  with  ye,  boy,  and  gin  ye  the 
power  to  bring  out  sech  music  as  the  Book  says  the 
angels  make  in  their  happiness  in  the  world  above.  I 
trust  ye  be  grateful,  lad,  for  the  gift  the  Lord  has  gin 
ye;  for  though  yer  tongue  knows  little  of  speech,  yit 
yer  fingers  can  bring  sech  sounds  out  of  the  fiddle  as 
a  man  might  wish  to  have  in  his  ears  when  his  body 
lies  in  the  cabin,  and  his  sperit  be  standin'  on  the  edge 
of  the  Great  Clearin' ! '' 

I  know  what  music  can  do  here.  It  has  lifted  me 
up,  gripped  my  heart  strings  and  soothed  many  a  sigh 
and  sob  of  the  soul.  It  had  pushed  me  out  to  reach  for 
the  eternal  and  given  me  a  dream  of  heaven.  But  there, 
I  shall  be  enchanted  with  joy  and  saturated  with  the 
infinite  songs. 

What  a  Choir  selected  to  sing  the  World's  Oratorio ! 
One  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand.  All  picked 
voices;  all  trained  for  this  occasion;  all  balanced  in 
parts;  all  expression  given!  Have  you  ever  seen  such 
a  number  massed  together  ?  Forty  thousand  is  the 
largest  number  I  ever  saw  banked  in  a  mass  so  I 
could  behold  them.  That  was  a  wonderful  sight,  thrill- 
ing and  moving  in  influence.  But  these  were  not  the 
actors;  they  were  the  beholders. 

One  of  the  world's  greatest  choirs  was  at  The 
World's  Fair,  Chicago,  a  few  years  ago.  It  contained 
a  thousand  picked  voices  and  it  gave  "  The  Messiah." 
It  was  a  wonderful  rendition  of  that  music.     But  here 


248  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

is  a  choir  of  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand 
massed  together  in  perfect  accord  and  training.  Could 
there  be  any  greater  honour  than  to  be  allowed  or 
chosen  to  sing  in  it?  The  selection  of  that  choir  is 
now  going  on.  What  requirements  are  demanded  ?  The 
first,  will  be  purity  of  life;  relationship  to  the  noble 
and  the  high.  It  will  not  be  standing  in  the  social 
world ;  it  will  not  be  necessarily  musical  training  here ; 
it  will  not  be  wealth  nor  intellect ;  but  it  will  be  a  love 
for  the  holy ;  a  longing  to  be  like  Him ;  it  may  be  service 
for  the  Master ;  a  sympathy  for  the  coming  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  and  His  Christ.  With  these  in  the  heart,  the 
voice  can  be  loosed  with  a  divine  touch  and  chords  set 
vibrating  that  give  one  a  place  in  such  a  choir. 

May  it  not  be  that  we  do  the  selecting  for  this 
choir !  Here  a  leader,  a  committee  is  most  likely  to  do 
it.  But  we  select  ourselves  by  our  own  work,  our  own 
preparation.  We  get  this  selection  by  our  daily  drill 
in  things  divine;  by  putting  into  our  lives  the  parts 
of  this  oratorio  as  we  train  in  daily  pursuits. 

It  is  said  that  at  one  time  a  great  teacher  announced 
that  he  would  bring  out  his  favourite  pupil  in  a  recital. 
One  pupil  had  only  been  given  parts,  not  any  whole 
of  music.  She  chafed  and  sometimes  felt  as  if  she 
was  not  being  dealt  with  squarely,  but  she  was  faithful 
to  the  work  given  and  trusted  her  teacher  to  make 
known  the  time  when  she  should  be  given  a  chance  to 
show  her  skill.  At  the  recital,  at  a  certain  time,  he 
came  to  his  announcement  as  to  who  the  favourite  pupil 
was.  He  beckoned  to  her,  to  her  amazement  and  timid, 
wondering,  she  came  forward,  while  he  pointed  to  the 


THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  ORATORIO    249 

music  set  before  her.  She  saw  at  a  glance  that  it  was 
a  whole  of  all  she  had  been  practising  upon.  Seating 
herself  she  justified  him  and  honoured  herself.  May 
it  not  be  thus  with  us !  We  can  reach  the  goal,  we  can 
elect  ourselves.  It  is  in  us !  Some  of  us  will  gain  the 
much  desired  honour. 

It  is  true  that  there  is  in  us  a  desire  to  take  part  in 
this  oratorio.  Our  nature  responds  to  the  big  and 
fine.  If  we  see  something  great,  we  leap  to  it  in  joy 
and  pleasure.  If  we  hear  some  soul-stirring  music, 
we  feel  movements  within  that  push  us  out  to  be  and 
do  that  which  is  worthy  of  our  endowments.  The  soul 
has  luminous  hours  which  sweep  it  far  beyond  the 
ordinary.  It  makes  possible  a  Twenty-third  Psalm;  a 
Thirteenth  Chapter  of  First  Corinthians ;  an  Elijah 
in  music ;  an  Angelus  in  painting ;  a  Saul  by  Browning ; 
a  King  Arthur  by  Tennyson.  There  is  in  all  of  us  a 
something  that  leaps  to  the  call  for  such  a  joyous 
privilege  of  chanting  the  praises  of  Christ. 

The  composition  of  this  oratorio  has  to  do  with 
the  beginning  and  the  ending  of  things.  ^^  They  sing 
the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb.''  Moses  stands  for 
the  beginning,  while  Christ  stands  for  the  ending.  We 
have  always  wanted  to  know  about  the  beginning  of 
things.  Here  will  come  the  revelation  that  shall  un- 
lock many  of  the  mysteries  of  the  past  and  give  to  us 
the  story  of  God  unfolding  in  the  world's  history. 
Moses'  song  was  of  a  reigning  God,  a  mighty  Sovereign 
in  the  midst  of  His  works.  He  reigns  by  law  and 
upholds  all  things  by  His  power.  Ezekiel  with  his 
vision  brings  in  his  minors  of  the  song,  and  Jeremiah 


250  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

is  plaintive  and  sorrowful.  The  song  of  the  Christ- 
birth  will  be  heard  again  and  lead  into  a  new  rhapsody 
that  will  have  its  expression  in  "  Hallelujahs ! ''  "  There 
is  a  Green  Hill  Far  Away/'  will  lead  us  to  Him  who 
was  crucified  ^'  without  a  city  wall  "  with  minglings 
of  sadness  and  joy  at  the  love  that  was  deep  enough 
to  go  the  utmost  need  of  human  life.  "  But  He  shall 
reign  forever  and  ever/'  will  bring  us  to  our  feet  and 
"  Alleluia !  Alleluia !  "  will  break  forth  from  all  hearts 
singing  and  hearing  this  wonderful  oratorio.  But  why 
imagine?  It  is  beyond  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive! 
How  then  can  he  write  it  ? 

jN'ote  the  fact  that  in  the  composition  of  this  oratorio 
we  have  a  most  valuable  suggestion  as  to  what  kind 
of  music  we  should  give  attention  in  our  daily  prac- 
tice. Heaven's  music  is  to  be  made  up  out  of  the  re- 
ligious side  of  life.  If  we  expect  to  have  a  part  in  it, 
or  to  hear  it,  we  must  cultivate  the  taste  for  it.  Today 
the  taste  is  running  too  much  to  the  "  rag  time,"  con- 
ception. Such  is  the  output  of  trivial  minds,  the  product 
of  the  buffoon.  Most  people  are  keeping  time  to  a 
perpetual  "  ta-ra,  ra-ra  boom-de-aye." 

When  men  and  women  rush  to  the  theatre  on  Sunday 
night,  neglecting  the  house  of  worship  in  the  morning, 
and  give  themselves  to  frivolities  of  the  hour,  they  have 
a  ragtime  music  in  their  life.  Why  men  and  women 
go  up  or  down,  is  not  understood  as  it  should  be.  Our 
keynote  decides  in  the  long  run  our  place  in  the  heavenly 
life.  We  must  give  our  work  and  life  here  the  right 
pitch  in  order  to  take  up  the  strain  ihcre.  The  most 
effective  electives  to  things  above  are  those  which  link 


THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  ORATORIO    251 

to  the  causes  of  Christ  in  the  earth.  Jesus  gave  us  our 
pitch  when  He  separated  all  society  into  two  classes, 
and  put  the  one  group  of  men  who  loved  His  little 
ones  on  the  one  side,  and  those  who  harshly  judged 
their  fellows  and  disregarded  men,  on  the  otlier  side, 
and  then,  laying  His  hand,  not  upon  the  well-to-do,  not 
upon  scholars,  not  upon  the  men  of  rank  or  station,  not 
upon  the  righteous,  but  upon  the  heart-broken,  men  who 
had  been  caught  by  avarice,  the  women  who  had  been 
overtaken  by  passion,  prodigals  who  had  sinned  against 
every  law  of  decency  and  sobriety.  He  took  the  hand 
of  the  orphan,  and  the  street  Arab  and  waifs,  who  had 
been  forsaken  of  men^  and  said :  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did 
it  not  to  these,  ye  did  it  not  to  Me."  Therefore,  be 
gentle  with  men.  Do  not  spurn  them.  Deride  no 
woman.  Scorn  no  movement,  be  sympathetic  toward 
every  reform  that  lifts  up  and  helps  men.  Broaden 
your  scope  of  every  interest  that  is  good.  Love  your 
fellow-men  enough  to  help  them ;  then,  and  not  till  then, 
will  you  have  the  true  keynote  of  a  song,  that  shall  make 
you  worthy  of  the  choir  in  heaven. 

This  oratorio  will  have  minors  and  majors  of  music 
in  it  for  it  is  made  up  of  that  which  has  gone  on  be- 
tween Moses  and  the  Lamb.  It  will  tell  the  complete 
story  and  no  doubt  that  the  majors  will  be  more  soul- 
stirring  for  the  minors  that  lead  up  to  their  glorious 
chords. 

We  have  our  minors  and  majors  here.  Life  is  a 
school,  and  joy  and  suffering  are  our  teachers.  The 
book  of  Revelation  speaks  of  the  great  things  that  come 
to  the  overcomers. 


252  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Joseph  is  sold  into  Egypt;  he  is  sent  to  prison  for 
his  virtue;  his  life  is  now  in  the  minor.  But  he  passes 
over  into  the  major  when  he  becomes  the  prime  minister 
of  Egypt.  The  minor  then  is  the  gateway  to  the 
major. 

The  music  that  made  the  finest  and  most  lasting  im- 
pression upon  me,  I  heard  a  few  years  ago  upon  the 
organ  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Portland, 
Oregon.  It  was  an  exquisite  rendering  of  the  Alpine 
Storm.  The  musical  magician  sat  at  the  organ  and 
called  forth  voices  of  rapturous  sweetness  and  power 
from  the  divine  heights  and  from  the  mystic  depths.  At 
first  the  Alpine  horn  is  heard  calling  to  shelter  the 
flocks  from  the  fury  of  the  storm,  whose  approach  is 
threatened  by  the  rumbling  of  distant  thunder.  The 
tempest  speedily  gathers  strength,  grows  louder  and 
marches  nearer.  More  and  more  furious  the  elements 
become,  until  that  thunderstorm  among  the  mountains 
culminates  in  a  crash  which  shakes  the  church  to  its 
foundations.  But  all  the  time  across  the  fury  of  the 
storm  I  hear  the  sweet  notes  of  a  hymn ;  a  choir  of  sweet 
voices  is  singing,  and  the  notes  rise  pure  and  triumphant 
above  the  tumult  of  the  driving  storm.  It  is  a  battle 
between  the  hymn  and  the  furious  crash  of  the  storm 
notes, — ^the  hymn  of  trust,  and  the  lash  of  the  hail  on 
the  roof,  the  roar  of  the  thunder  and  the  resounding 
echoes  in  the  valley,  which  well-nigh  drown  the  voices 
of  the  singers.  But  at  length  the  fury  of  the  tempest  is 
spent,  the  warring  elements  grow  calmer  and  the  re- 
verberations die  away  among  the  hills  like  the  ex- 
piring tones  of  a  frustrate  demon.     Then  the  voices  in 


THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  ORATORIO    253 

the  liymn  grow  clear,  liquid,  triumphant  At  last  the 
storm  dies  away  into  a  peace  like  heaven,  and  soon 
God's  sunshine  smiles  between  the  clouds.  The  world 
is  lighted  with  gladness.  The  sweet  voices  still  sing 
on,  the  hymn  prevails,  the  hymn  conquers  the  warring 
elements  of  sound,  the  chorus  becomes  more  jubilant, 
until,  in  a  flood  of  harmony,  the  hymn  ends  in  an 
anthem,  and  the  enchanted  hearers  feel  as  though  they 
had  heard  music,  not  of  this  weary  earth,  but  through 
the  gates  of  heaven  left  ajar. 

The  storm  is  in  the  din  of  the  daily  battle,  daily 
sorrow.  Life  is  not  all  sunshine.  The  black  clouds 
are  here,  the  thunder,  the  enemy,  the  fears,  the  scares, 
all  are  here.  But  the  hymn  is  here.  Above  everything 
discordant  and  terrible  the  musical  voice  of  faith  is 
always  sounding;  faith  confident  and  victorious,  thrill- 
ing with  memories  of  unexpected  restorations,  of  signal 
deliverances;  and  we  believe  the  hymn  and  not  the 
storm  is  the  real  thing,  the  prevailing,  conquering 
melody  in  this  universe  of  God's.  Faith,  not  doubt; 
light,  not  darkness ;  joy,  not  sorrow ;  music,  not  discord ; 
peace,  not  tumult;  life,  not  death;  the  hymn,  and  not 
the  storm — these  are  the  lasting  things  and  the  pre- 
vailing things,  not  the  loud  thunder,  but  the  matchless 
song. 

There  comes  to  the  human  soul  echoes  of  this  far- 
off  oratorio.  It  is  these  that  stir  and  inspire  us  to 
the  greater  and  more  important  things  of  life.  Who 
can  estimate  the  value  of  these  echoes  in  the  world ! 

The  echoes  of  America  reach  the  peasant  of  Europe 
through  those  that  are  here,  and  hearing  the  story  of 


254.  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

America,  its  opportunities,  its  privileges,  a  longing  is 
begotten  which  finds  its  realization  as  he  starts  away 
for  the  new  land  of  democracy.  Men  and  women  of  the 
East  hear  of  the  marvellous  West  and  the  vast  resources 
there;  of  land  that  may  be  taken  up;  mines  that  may 
be  located;  timber  that  may  be  secured;  of  the  warm, 
sunny  California,  and  they  move  on  and  out  to  these 
sections  of  our  country.  All  these  echoes  may  be  more 
for  the  material,  but  have  their  influence  upon  life. 

Then  there  are  men  who  get  the  echoes  of  mighty 
movements  in  the  plans  of  God.  "  When  God  would 
order  some  great  movement  in  society,  he  finds  a  mind 
where  He  may  drop  a  seed  thought,  and  these  are 
powerful  enough  to  wake  up  and  bring  up  new  move- 
ments in  the  life  of  men."  This  was  true  in  the  life 
of  Moses ;  of  Paul ;  of  the  Pilgrims ;  of  Livingstone ;  of 
the  pioneers  and  the  explorers. 

It  was  Emerson's  custom  to  go  every  day  into  the 
woods,  to  listen.  He  heard  echoes  of  great  things,  and 
coming  out  of  his  retreat  he  gave  them  to  the  world. 
Tennyson  wedded  noble  life  to  noble  thought,  and 
caught  strains  that  are  echoes  of  that  far-off  melody  of 
heaven. 

An  American  artist  was  asked  to  sculpture  a  great 
American  preacher.  In  order  to  get  into  the  life  of  the 
man,  he  studied  the  l^ew  Testament.  He  hoped  that 
he  might  find  the  inspiration  of  this  great  man.  When 
he  finished  the  reading  of  it,  he  said  to  a  friend :  "  I 
have  never  before  had  such  a  clear  view  of  Christ. 
That  Man  can  have  all  of  me  there  is."  The  echo  led 
to  the  reality. 


THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  ORATORIO    255 

An  echo  is  contained  in  the  substance  of  a  reflected 
reality,  the  evidence  of  something  not  seen.  The  heart 
may  be  Echo  City,  where  come  strains  from  the  heavenly 
reality.  "  Like  Echo-Lake,  the  '  echo '  reflects  the 
likeness  of  its  creator  from  the  croak  of  a  frog,  the 
bark  of  a  dog,  bray  of  the  mule,  or  the  voice  of  a  man, 
to  the  sound  of  music." 

Remember  we  hear  the  voice  of  Echo-land  only  where 
there  is  a  harmonious  relationship.  There,  echo  does 
not  manifest  itseK  where  there  is  discord.  Only  that 
life  tuned  to  the  Infinite  possibilities  catches  the  glory 
of  the  music  that  is  to  be.  Once  a  man  enters  into  this 
relationship  of  divineness,  he  finds  the  serenity,  the 
poise  and  the  sense  of  the  nearness  of  God  to  his  soul, 
and  he  becomes  alive  to  Christ. 

The  reason  that  this  echo  comes  to  us,  is  that  we 
may  walk  the  highways  and  byways  of  the  world  and 
help  bring  in  the  melody  that  strengthens  and  inspires 
hearts  to  make  the  fight  for  life  and  victory.  We  can- 
not get  the  right  life  without  the  right  echo ;  and  we  can 
not  find  the  great  song  until  we  have  found  the  great 
pitch  and  note  of  living.  It  is  "  the  song  of  Moses  and 
the  Lamb.'' 

It  is  also  inferred  that  there  will  be  a  great  orchestra 
to  support  this  wonderful  oratorio.  David  said :  "  As 
well  the  singers  as  the  players  on  instruments,  shall  be 
there."  Handel  asked  for  a  full  orchestra  to  play  his 
music.  Only  such,  could  make  fully  effective  the  work 
that  he  had  done.  We  may  be  sure  that  there  will  be 
a  mighty  orchestra  there.  We  may  be  of  that  sustain- 
ing part !     What  an  honour !    What  an  education ! 


256  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

The  multitude  cannot  sing  or  play  in  this  great 
oratorio,  but  it  can  hear  it.  This  is  our  right  and  this 
is  our  call  to  noble  living  and  doing.  The  invitation  has 
been  extended  to  all  "  Come,"  and  participate  in  the 
festival  of  heaven.  The  invitation  is  in  your  hands 
in  the  Word  of  God ;  it  is  in  your  memory  through  the 
teachings  of  the  past ;  it  is  in  your  own  soul,  calling  for 
an  acceptance  of  the  same. 

The  two  things  the  men  of  this  world  have  most 
wished  are  the  philosopher's  stone,  to  turn  base  metals 
into  gold,  and  the  secret  of  endless  life.  If  these  things 
were  to  be  obtained  somewhere  in  this  world,  who  would 
not  strive  to  obtain  them  ?  Men  have  grown  grey,  and 
some  have  lost  their  reason,  trying  to  solve  the  problem 
of  transmuting  metals.  The  discoverer  of  Florida  was 
an  aged  sailor,  who  sought  to  find  the  fountain  of 
perpetual  youth  in  which  to  wash  away  the  scars  of 
wars  and  years. 

These  are  but  dreams  and  shadows  of  things  that  are! 
In  the  Book  there  is  a  basis  of  faith  which  does  turn 
the  common  things  of  life  into  the  gold  of  character. 
Here  one  may  learn  the  secret  of  the  ageless  life.  Here 
one  finds  the  invitation  to  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb 
and  His  bride,  the  church  and  to  the  festivities  that 
last  forever  and  give  joy  and  never-ending  health. 

Let  the  soul,  the  instinct  of  heavenly  things  guide 
you  to  the  festival  of  music  and  fasting  in  the  delights 
of  the  immortal  life!  The  soul  is  like  a  bird  caged 
from  the  nest  that  yet  remembers  something  of  its 
real  life  in  the  forest  of  trees  and  flowers,  and  in  sum- 
mer days  hears  snatches  of  song  from  far-off  fields, 


THE  WORLD'S  GREATEST  ORATORIO    257 

and  yearns,  with  all  its  little  life  for  that  liberty  which 
it  has  never  proved,  for  those  songs  which  it  never 
learned  to  utter,  though  it  strives  in  broken  notes  for 
them. 

"  Some  adventurous  hunters  robbed  an  eagle's  nest 
of  an  eaglet.  Brought  home  he  was  reared  among 
fowls,  that  he  might  perform  domestic  duty.  As  he 
grew,  he  grew  apart  from  the  children  of  the  dunghill, 
and  sat  moody  in  sullen  dignity.  As  his  wings  secretly 
grew  strong,  they  were  clipped.  When  on  a  summer's 
day,  wild  in  the  heaven  the  hawk  screamed,  every  fowl 
in  the  yard  ran  cowering  to  a  shelter,  but  he  with 
flashing  eye,  and  discordant  scream,  reared  himself  to 
fly.  But  alas !  he  could  not  fly !  He  could  not  rise.  He 
fell  sick.  He  would  have  died,  if  he  might.  They  let 
him  alone.  His  pinions  grew  again.  They  forgot 
him.  But  he  forgot  not.  The  sky  was  his  abode.  And 
when,  one  neglectful  summer  day,  all  were  dozing,  from 
afar  up  in  the  sky — so  far  that  none  could  see,  but  he, 
there  came  down  a  cry  so  faint  that  no  ear  heard  it, 
except  the  eagle's.  Then,  with  sudden  force,  all  its 
life  beating  on  its  breast,  up  it  sprang.  Away  from 
the  yard,  its  fowls,  its  owners,  over  the  rick,  and  over 
the  barn,  over  the  trees,  and  over  the  hills,  round  and 
round  in  growing  circles,  beaten  with  growing  power 
of  wing,  the  free  eagle  sought  its  fellow,  and  found 
its  liberty  right  under  the  sun." 

And  such  is  to  be  our  history,  if  we  live  in  the 
spirit.  The  mighty  "  Come !  "  of  heaven  will  lift, 
strengthen  and  pull  us  upward  to  the  life  of  the  spirit- 
ual. 


258  THE  DRAMA  OF  THE  FACE 

Are  we  making  preparations  for  this  oratorio  ?  Have 
we  sent  in  our  application  for  a  seat  at  this  coming 
festival  of  music  ?  "  It  is  without  money/'  but  not 
without  price.  "  The  pure  in  heart  shall  see  God." 
The  application  of  the  principles  of  a  noble  Christian 
life,  make  for  an  entrance  to  the  golden  city  of  many 
joyous  festivities  and  glorious  development.  Here  is 
where  our  research  should  tend,  our  investigations  and 
experiments  should  point,  our  emphasis  should  be  given. 
This  is  to  live  in  the  strains  of  music  that  ultimately 
leads  to  the  place  where  "  they  sing  the  song  of  Moses 
and  the  Lamb." 


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